


Shadows of the Past

by dashboardgecko



Category: Monster Hunter (Video Games)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Blood and Violence, Death, F/F, F/M, Family, Fantasy, Friendship, M/M, Mystery, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-09-24
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2019-07-10 20:46:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 49,905
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15957206
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dashboardgecko/pseuds/dashboardgecko
Summary: A sequel to The Lost Civilization. It's been 25 years since the Alatreon was slain. The Lost are integrating into the hunter's era, and the world is slowly advancing. But darkness looms to the east, and even greater threats than before, both monster and human, are appearing to challenge the next generation of Lost. MH4U.





	1. Prologue/Letters from Levin

Prologue/Letters from Levin

_Disclaimer: Monster Hunter is copyright Capcom. All the characters in this story are mine._

_Edited by: Hoenn Master96, Thomas A. Hawk, and DinoJake_

* * *

Dear Ellie,

I really hope this letter reaches you. I know I should trust the Felyne mail system by now, but given how frequently these cats are distracted by shiny things and Felvine, it’s a little challenging to take them too seriously.

Anyway, we’ve reached the border! I have to admit I’m rather excited. This is the first time I’ve ever been to Gahiji, even with all the work the Guild’s had me doing with Harker the last few years.

We docked at the town of Val Habar (that’s where I’m sending this letter from), which is apparently one of the few cities that even allow airships to land. I wish you and the kids could have been here; it’s really an amazing place to see! The city lies right at the edge of the desert, and it looks as though there’s a line cutting right through the earth with desert on one side and lush grasslands on the other. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a place where calling the sand sea what we do was quite so literal!

Harker and Leif are both glad to be on solid ground again; Harker because he’s raring to set out and find his Meridian tower, and Leif because he really doesn’t like flying. I warned him that’s what he’d have to suffer if he came along with us on his ‘pilgrimage’ or whatever he calls it, but he still spent the entire flight moaning about it.

Anyway, the town itself is quite a bustling place. The paths were pretty sandy since it’s right by the desert, but it didn’t really bother me too much after all that time in Loc Lac. The streets were positively filled with shops, and - I think you’ll like this part - they were all traveling merchants! Nearly every salesman was peddling out of these elaborate wagons with opening panels on the sides with intricate displays, and at the end of the day they’d snap everything shut, pretty as you please. I’m sure Geisel Sundries could find a place here if you were able to get permission to expand to this country. You wouldn’t even need to build a proper shop, just put together a wagon like the ones here. I figure that’ll spark your interest if nothing else in this letter does.

The Guild hall here is rather impressive, if a little oddly-shaped. It’s like a giant sandship crashed into the city, then was just left there and converted into a Guild building. It’s got a giant gong at the top of it though, and they use that like a signal when the town’s under attack. I heard there was an attack a few weeks ago by some creature called the Daren Mohran, or whatever that Jhen-like monster in this area of the sandsea is called.

Anyway, we traveled straight there almost the second we landed. Harker was ecstatic to get going, though I don’t exactly understand why he was in such a hurry. That Meridian tower we’re going to investigate isn’t going anywhere after all, so why not take a little bit of time to see the sights while we’re here? It took him years for the Gahin government to allow us into their country, so we should try to take our time with this one, right?

The Guild Master of the city, Treno, was waiting for us when we got there. He sort of caught me by surprise though, since he wasn’t wearing a Guild uniform, but this kind of silly-looking cowboy garb or something. He was a really sharp guy when we got talking to him, though it was a little tricky to figure out what he was saying sometimes. The Gahin have their own dialect, with this sort of wispy manner of speaking, and this guy was trying to speak with a southern drawl on top of that. Needless to say, it was tricky to listen to.

Treno seemed pretty sure we didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into. You know all about the stringent rules Gahiji had about people entering the country (trying to cut into the market, you sly saleswoman), and how the border restrictions have been slackening enough recently for Harker’s requests to be accepted. Treno got a bit tight-lipped when I asked why the rules had been getting kinder recently. He told me it was very complicated, and he didn’t want to get into all the details.

He also said to be careful about the Meridian tower we were heading off to investigate. Apparently, one of the reasons that Harker’s requests have been denied for so long is because the Gahin people tend to look upon the old Meridian stuff with something between fear and reverence. We explained that we were just planning to translate the writings we could find there, but Treno still warned us to show caution when we talked to people about our expedition.

He wasn’t all dire warnings though. Apparently he’d gone out of his way to find us a couple of Felyne guides who were well-versed in the terrain of Gahiji and could take us all the way to the tower, and were skilled hunters in their own rights. (They’re called Palicos here. Weird title if you ask me.) Leif was positively ecstatic. I guess he really looks up to them as skilled individuals of the ‘Felyne homeland’ or whatever. Their accents are kind of strange, not exactly the same as the local dialect, but they’re not completely unintelligible, and they seem eager to help too. Felyne or not, these guys seem really dependable, so we might be able to get to the tower and back quicker than we thought.

I’ll cut this letter short for now. Too much more, and the Felyne courier’s gonna bump up the price for weight. And don’t you say anything about me being stingy; they literally double the price if you put too many papers in an envelope, and I didn’t expect the price of post to be so high when I prepared my wallet for this trip. Harker’s going to be regretting it if he keeps sending Kerry those small novels he writes her.

Anyway, tell the kids I love them, and I miss them. I really miss you, too, and already look forward to coming home.

With love, Levin

P.S. Let me know how Sonia and Bram are doing. Hopefully they’re not getting in too far over their heads training for the exam. They don’t need to go through what we did before heading off to Orage.

* * *

“Are the preparations done?”

“We have sent out the messages. It will take time to receive the responses we require, but they will come soon enough. If they come at all…”

“You doubt the loyalty of our comrades?”

“The vows are old, Mother. It has been a long time. A very, _very_ long time… It is easy to make a promise when you feel you will not need to keep it within your lifetime.”

“They will keep their promises. They have made their vows, and will be held true to them. If they do not… they will be reminded of the consequences of oath-breaking, and the rest will be all the more _willing_ to maintain their loyalty.”

“That is, if it’s true that our waiting is finally over…”

“You doubt, child?”

“We have kept memory of our vows for a very long time, Mother. There is a _reason_ we have had to sit and wait. It is… hard to believe the rumors and stories, after so long of hopeless waiting.”

“You have been thorough in making certain these stories are true… _haven’t you_?”

“Of course, Mother, of course! The tales are spoken by everyone, everywhere in Theron and beyond! They must speak of the tale even the most out of the way hole in the wall in the far reaches of Shrade! But I have checked. I have read the Guild reports, and seen the proof myself. They are true, I am certain.”

“Then we have nothing to fear. Our time has come, though we are many years late in beginning our work. I wish we could have began the moment news first reached us…”

“We had to make sure, Mother! We had to be absolutely certain! To move too quickly, to be premature in our duty, especially after so long…”

“I know child, I know. But the time is now! So many years, and the days we have awaited are finally upon us! We are so nearly ready!”

“Yes, yes. Only one last thing we need, Mother.”

“Yes… the gift. Our offering. And you have guaranteed-”

“The gift will be here. It took much work to ensure that, many deft maneuvers to pull it off. But our comrades are skilled, though their abilities may not be called upon frequently. They did what they were asked, and did it well. Soon, all will be ready.”

“Their skills will find much more use soon. They will all be needed once we have fulfilled our duty.”

“I certainly hope so.”

“Worry not, child. Once our duty is fulfilled they will not need to be forced. They will aid us readily and willingly. It is in their blood. What else can they do but serve? Now go, child. Get some rest. We will be very busy soon, and you have worked very hard.”

“Thank you, Mother.”

“Sleep well, child. You will need your strength for the days to come.”

* * *

To my dearest Eleanor, flower of my heart,

My heart aches to be away from you as long as I have. To be away from you is torture, and my dreams are filled with tantalizing visions of your beauty. I long to merely grace your presence once more, to simply allow my ears to listen to your beautiful voice, to gaze into your brilliant green eyes and have them look into my own with even half the love that I feel for you. To feel your slightest touch, the gentlest kiss, would be a greater gift than I could ever hope for, and I long for the day when I can once again bask in your presence and hold you in my arms with all the love and longing I feel in this moment.

See? I can be flowery too, pretty lady. I just choose not to do so in letters. So please don’t compare my letters to those ridiculously poetic novellas that Harker enjoys sending Kerry. Besides, I prefer using such words when we’re alone and the kids are otherwise occupied. Preferably somewhere with dim lighting, near a bed, with you wearing something nice and revealing, and I know I have you to myself for several hours…

I really shouldn’t be having thoughts like this when I’m something like a thousand miles away from you, pleasant though they may be. I’m really looking forward to coming home.

Also, I really hope you’re not reading these aloud to the kids.

Such thoughts aside, we entered the forests after the last letter, and have started on a northwestern path. Mercy, there are a lot of hills here! I always considered Theron to be rather rugged terrain, but now that I’m in Gahiji, oh man our country is flat as a pancake in comparison! Most of the paths that our guides are taking are dangerous, with sharp inclines and steep hills on all sides. Seems like you can’t go twenty yards without some crazy rock protrusion jutting up from the ground, or a ledge dropping down ten yards. The only place we’ve seen that’s really flat are the plains next to the sandsea, but beyond that the terrain is just insane. Harker’s been going on about wild tectonics and other such stuff, but I can’t follow half of what he says.

At least the Felynes are good at what they do; they keep taking us down these narrow paths and secret caves that we never would have found otherwise, and shaving days off our journey by leading us through mountains rather than around them.

We haven’t run across any monsters on the roads yet, or at least nothing that’s really that bad. A lot of little things like Jaggis, and some of their distant cousins called Velociprey. They’re quick, but nothing worth getting worried about. I’ve also seen some big gorilla-looking things that our guides said were called Congas, and some Neopterons called Konchu. The Konchu kind of surprised me, since their shells were hard enough to deflect my switch axe blade, despite it being made from Deviljho materials! They’re easy enough to kill once you flip them over though. Our guides have told us that we shouldn’t need to fear anything more dangerous on the journey, as they’re taking us through some of the safer paths. That’s fine by me.

Leif is really enjoying himself. Despite being a ‘city’ Felyne, he having fun with his ‘pilgrimage’ in his ‘ancestral homeland’. Our guides have started acting a little sour around him, though, despite the efforts he’s gone to trying to make friends with them. I guess there’s just some cultural difference that he’s just not picking up. The other Felynes spend most of their time prattling on in their own language, and though Leif tries to get in on their conversation, their accent is too thick for him to understand that well. He says they’re using some really archaic tongue that he doesn’t know.

At least it hasn’t affected their work as guides. We’re making great time, as far as I can tell.

That being said, we are out of the forest for now. I’m actually sending this letter from a large Gahin city called Dundorma Town. We needed to stop for supplies, and what better place than one of the most prominent hunting cities in the region? But man, if I thought the surrounding area was hilly, Dundorma is a testament to the geography. Maybe I’ve been spoiled by places like Loc Lac, Orage, and Tanzia, where all the roads and paths are nice and flat, but this place is a different beast altogether. Hell, even that vacation we took in Yukumo wasn’t as rough as this place is, and that’s in the middle of the Misty Peaks.

Dundorma is pretty much built on the tallest hill in the area, right next to a massive lake to the south. The city itself is made up of about a dozen or so tiers going up the sides of the hill, with a lot of ramps and stairs that climb up and down the city’s cardinal directions. The locals seem pretty used to it, but me and Harker had to stop and catch our breaths after climbing up a few tiers. It’s even worse when you're getting passed on the stairs by pregnant women and doddering old codgers.

Even with that, the city’s beautiful. From a distance it looks like an old, worn-out stone fortress, but inside they’ve really put in a lot of effort to color the place with grass, trees, and vines, as well as bright banners and the like. For its cold, lifeless exterior, the locals have really livened the place up.

Oh, yeah, and to answer your question from the last letter: no, I’m not going to try and buy some rare materials from this country to sell back in Theron. I don’t care how much the going price for Yian Garuga beaks and Khezu steaks are back in Orage Dell, I’m not going to weigh myself down. I urge you to remember: I am not good at business. I am a frugal man, but you’re liable to lose profit if you trust me to barter. And besides, it’s unethical to tell your customers that powdered Rajang horns do what you’re saying they do.

They don’t do what you say they do, right? You haven’t tested this or anything? Do I need to start checking my food when you cook? I mean, I’m not really complaining if they do have that effect, but it’s the principle of the thing.

I met a few hunters while we were here that I could understand through that wispy dialect. They seemed rather impressed with my Golden Lune mail, so we started swapping stories. However, when I told them that I was a Therian hunter, they got this really sour look on their faces. For some reason, Therian hunters really aren’t that well-respected here in Gahiji. I tried asking about it, but after hearing that I was Therian, a lot of them lost interest in me or straight up walked away. I didn’t understand what was going on until this old guy I met at the inn explained it to me.

Apparently there’s a really big disconnect between what Therians consider hunting and what the Gahin consider hunting. The old guy (I didn’t catch his name, sorry) was a civilian, so he couldn’t exactly explain properly, but from what I understand, the Gahin consider Therian hunters to be - and I quote - ‘brutish, noisy, and lacking in tact or wit’. Too much ‘hit it until it dies’ and not enough ‘hunting’, whatever that means. I tried to ask for more, but the old guy just shrugged and couldn’t give me anything else.

Now that he’s told me, I’ve gotten a bit more receptive to the looks I’m getting from other hunters when I tell them I’m from Theron. Rolled eyes, scoffs of disdain, and just this general look of superiority. Maybe this is why Leif’s having such trouble bonding with our guides. If nothing else, it’s encouraging me to try and get this mission done as quickly as I can so I can come home. I mean, I could tell them about the Alatreon, but I’ve never really liked the attention that gets me, and in this country I’m not even sure if that would make them think more or less of me.

Either way, I guess it doesn’t matter too much. We’ve gathered up everything we need for the rest of the journey, so we’ll be leaving Dundorma in the morning. The next letter I send might be a while. The Meridian tower we’re investigating is pretty far northeast of here, and we’ll have to travel through pretty thick countryside to get there. There aren’t many towns off in that direction, and I’m not sure how many villages will have Felyne postal service, but hopefully we’ll be able to find a place where they’re still sending and receiving. At the very least, I suppose I’ll have to take one for the team and pay extra for a longer letter.

Anyway, tell Sonia to be careful hunting. It doesn’t matter if she and Bram have taken down two Gobul together, the next one might prove to be really nasty. Or worse, it might end up being Goliath. I know he doesn’t usually kill any hunters he meets, but any hunter that does get the short end of his attacks usually don’t come home in very good condition. He’s G-Rank these days for good reason. Also, what’s Van been up to? Anything new with him?

I miss you all. With luck we’ll get through this forest quickly, and I’ll be back home soon.

With love, Levin

* * *

“Hmm… You’re sure about this?”

“Hmph. You’re asking if I’m sure? You? You don’t believe anything that comes out of my mouth.”

“Oh, that’s not true. I believe it. I’m just not as confident in the _inevitability_ of all your divining nonsense as you seem to be. Mercy knows I’ve tweaked your precious predictions into being inaccurate once or twice.”

“They were _not_ inaccurate.”

“Ha, of course not, they were just _vague_ and you _horribly_ misinterpreted them. But you’re certain that there’s not much time left?”

“Positive. There is some… uncertainty-”

“How surprising.”

“Do you want this information or not?”

“Oh, _do_ forgive me. I apologize _profusely_ , and _prostrate_ myself before you. How much time do we have?”

“Hmph. Five years at the most. If we’re very lucky.”

“And if we’re _not_ lucky?”

“A few months… Maybe a year and a half. The fact that we’ve had twenty-five years already is more than I could have dreamed.”

“A few months? Damn… Does she know yet?”

“No. That’s why I came to you. You can get to her faster than I can.”  

“I’m not your messenger, old man. A few months is plenty of time for you to inform her before-”

“No! I cannot leave this country! Not yet. There are other dangers that I must seek out and try to prevent here.”

“Dangers? What kind of dangers?”

“I’m not… sure. Even more so than usual, the visions are unclear. Something is coming, something dangerous, something different. It is a shadow of the past that lingers, looming in the distance. I don’t know if it is related to our current threat, but I must try and unearth the truth and stop it if I can. Or at least minimize the casualties.”

“Hmm… I don’t like the sound of that.”

“You must not focus on that. I will focus my attention on it, and _you_ must travel and tell her what I have told you. She must know of this, and prepare for it!”

“Calm down, calm down! I’ll tell her. She’ll certainly want to know of this. However…”

“No! Damn you! I know that tone! You’re planning on ignoring this and doing something completely different!”

“I’m flattered! To think you’re so familiar with me that you can tell that much with just a word! I’m not ignoring it though; I’ll get around to informing her eventually. There are simply a few other stops I need to make first.”

“Damn you to hell! This is _vitally_ important! You can get to her the fastest! What are you planning to do if not this?”

“I plan on doing the same thing I always do, oh great Veggie Elder: throw a wrench into the cogs of fate and see what breaks.”

“That’s what I was afraid of…”

* * *

Dear Ellie,

I have no idea how the Felynes do it. We got through the forest, and your letter was waiting for me in the village on the far side. I don’t know what sort of magic the Felynes have conjured up to be so damn good at their job, but I applaud them for it.

But me and Harker have problems: I’m starting to suspect foul play. We’ve been going in circles, or at least, we’re taking the most roundabout paths possible. I can tell, no matter how confusing this landscape is. And we’ve been backtracking a lot as well. Our guides keep telling us that ‘the paths are blocked’ and the like, though we’ve never seen any signs of this being true. It seems like when we reach a fork in the road, we always take every other path first, before getting on the right one last! We haven’t called them out on it yet since we really are getting closer to the Meridian tower, despite everything. Harker’s pretty competent at navigating, and I’m no scrub myself, so if our ‘guides’ are doing this intentionally, they can’t keep fooling us forever.

Leif’s been getting into a lot of arguments with our guides as well. I’m not sure what the issue between them is all about, but I think it’s some religious dispute or something like that. Leif’s stopped calling them ‘helpful’ and ‘courageous’, and started using other choice words like ‘obstinate’, ‘archaic’, and ‘antediluvian’. (Actually, I’m not sure what that last word means, myself.) I’m not too sure what the guides are saying, but they certainly aren’t nice. Insults tend to sound the same, even if you can’t understand what the word means.

I’ve asked Leif what’s going on, but he’s not talking. Says it’s a Felyne thing. I’m a little worried, but I’ll leave it to Leif. We are guests in this country, so maybe we’re just unintentionally stepping over some bounds that we didn’t know about. I’ll keep an eye on our guides though, in case this argument gets out of hand.

From what we’ve been able to pick up from the villages we’ve passed through, the tower’s located somewhere deep within a place called the Blasted Lands. Mercy knows what sort of place that is, but I was getting mixed messages from people. Some of them seemed to consider it a holy land, while others considered it horribly cursed. A few of the villages we passed through seemed to view it as some sort of blasphemy that we were even entering the area. Most folks we talk to seem to think we’re walking to our certain doom by heading to that area, one of those ‘whoever enters never leaves’ sorts of places.

Sounds about par for the course, considering my luck.

Something else I’ve noted is that I’ve seen almost no switch axes or gunlances in this country, and even bowguns are pretty sparse. It didn’t really occur to me at first, not until a kid I met on the street asked me what sort of weapon I had. I guess ‘kid’ might not be the right word, since he was at least twenty, but he’d never seen a switch axe before! I mean, I know the weapon was created in Theron something like thirty years ago, but I remember seeing a few hunters wielding them in Dundorma. I told him what it was and gave a short rundown on how it works, and he just gives me this look like I’d admitted to rolling around in Aptonoth dung as a hobby, and walks away without another word.

Oddly enough, it was Harker that explained it to me. I didn’t think he was really paying too close of attention to our surroundings, but apparently he’d picked up some information trying to figure out why he’d been barred from entering the country for so long before now. Apparently Gahin culture was formerly a very luddite country as early as twenty years ago, opposing the creation and use of certain types of technology within their borders, and only in the last couple decades has there been a surge for advancement. It seems like it split the country in two groups: the ‘Progress’ faction and the ‘Purist’ faction. The Progress faction is what it sounds like, encouraging technology and scientific study. The Purist faction favors keeping to the old ways and customs, including the use of hunting weapons that aren’t too advanced and calling down the use of airships.

I was worried that it might mean we were stepping into a fight of some kind coming here, what with me having a switch axe as a weapon and Harker being himself. It seems like this whole faction dispute has split most of the cities here into two, with a lot of arguments breaking out on each side. But apparently this whole thing has actually been developing quite civilly, despite the disagreements between the locals. There are a few brawls breaking out in bars, but not much worse than that.

It’s not as though there’s no technology at all. You know some of those trade wagons I told you about? I’ve seen a few where if you hit a switch, the entire thing folds up in on itself using steam-powered gizmos, and those don’t seem to bother the Purists that much. It’s just that certain things like airships or certain weapons. I think there’s some sort of technology cap, or maybe it’s just certain types of technology? It’s really strange, in my opinion, and I can’t figure out why they do it.

I suppose it’s just a different culture here. It looks as though most of the people in the larger cities seem to be primarily Progressive, but most of the smaller villages we pass through out in the mountains are still Purist. We get a lot of really dirty looks from the locals out in the wilderness. I’m just glad I keep my Dark Metal limbs covered most of the time. I’m not sure how the locals would react to that, considering the looks I already get in Theron.

Let it be said that I don’t think less of these people for their Purist mentality though. Most of the people we’ve met are nice and generous to us, and though they turn their noses up at my weapon and what we’re in Gahiji to do, they’ve all been pretty cordial. Maybe that’s why they finally let Harker go on this expedition. With people in this country pushing towards advancement and trying to leave behind a lot of the old superstitions, they really don’t have a reason to keep men like Harker from coming to study old Meridian artifacts anymore.

I’ll be honest, all this political nonsense is making my head hurt. I’m not made for stuff like this. My skill set consists mainly of controlled applications of violence. I am pretty damn good at it, but not much else. That and keeping Harker from becoming a full-fledged, world-dominating mad scientist.

About what you said about Sonia, I’m honestly glad she and Bram have that extra six months before the next exam rolls around, no matter how eager they are to get their licenses. I know the Guild allows young men and women to try out at eighteen, but doing it the very second they’re old enough just bothers me. Maybe it’s just my overprotectiveness as a father speaking, but I wish my little girl would take some more time before throwing herself into such a dangerous profession. I mean, we didn’t really get into the hunting game until we were in our early twenties, though admittedly there were unique circumstances for the two of us. I guess we probably would have taken the exam at eighteen too, if we’d been brought here a few years younger.

I guess I don’t really have room to talk either way. All I can do is hope for the best and trust that she’ll be smart enough not to play things too risky. She’s learning from a good teacher after all, and she’s got Bram around to keep her level-headed.

Anyway, tell her the usual: love, caution, all that jazz. Oh, and congratulate Van on doing so well in school. It’s nice to see your children doing well in something other than professional killing.

With love, Levin

* * *

Deep within a lush green forest, two shapes rushed through the foliage. Panting and gasping with wheezing, fearful breaths, the two armored individuals dodged and leapt through the tall trunks and rugged roots, until they came upon a sudden drop, a shallow trench at the base of which trickled a shallow stream of water. Neither of the runners paused as the leapt down the drop, dropping to a crouch as they hit the ground. Rather than continuing to run, however, both individuals pulled back, pressing their backs against the dirt wall of the trench, gasping to catch their breath.

One of them, a hunter wearing solid grey plating, armor made from a Gravios, calmed himself quickly, leveling his breathing and tilting his head to listen. The other, a huntress in dull Monoblos armor, however, had yet to calm herself, gasping frantically for air and jolting in terror at the slightest sound. The hunter reached over, planting a hand on her shoulder and whispering sharply.

“Get down! Get down. Hold still and be quiet. I think… I think we’ve lost it.”

“Oh, mercy… Oh, mercy, they’re dead! It killed them like it was nothing! Geoff… he didn’t stand a chance!”

“Hush now, Harriet. You must calm down-”

“Freida… oh, Freida! We left her to die! We left her behind!”

“She stayed behind so we could escape! Now please, be quiet, or it will-”

“What the hell is that thing?! It was… it was dead! I watched it _die_! It’s not… It’s not…”

“ _Calm down!_ Please. Please, my love, calm down. Freida is… she is a skilled huntress. She will not die to the beast so easily. She has killed Tigrex before on her own, and she will do it again. It’s not even a Brute! She will be fine, I… I am certain.”

“Yes… yes, of course. It’s just… just a Tigrex. We’ve fought them before, haven’t we? Together. This one’s just… just a little stronger. And it… it breathes poison. Freida was coughing when she inhaled it, that black miasma… She… Oh, mercy, that thing wasn’t _natural_! And that shadow in the trees, the dark creature…”

“Hush Harriet! Be quiet! I thought I heard…”

There was a sharp crash, followed by the ripping of wood. Thundering footsteps echoed through the trees, and a twisted howl accompanied them. It was a familiar cry, one the hunters had heard before… but unnaturals and warped in a way that defied description.

“It’s _coming_! It’s killed her! Freida! We left her to die, and now it’s coming for us!”

“No! It will _not_ kill us, my love! We can’t… we cannot die here. We cannot… _both_ die here.”

“...What? Alistair, what are you-”

“Get back to the city. I will hold back the beast. If you run, it should only be an hour back to Dundorma from here…”

“No… no, Alastair! No! I… I am afraid, but I will not leave you behind! I will not run away leave you here to-”

“You must, Harriet! The Guild will need to hear of this immediately! Whatever sort of… _thing_ this creature is, and whatever caused it, someone needs to be told! This is greater than the two of us, my love, whatever this is, and we have to do what we can to warn people… whatever the cost.”

“Please, Alistair… Don’t ask me to do this…”

“I must, Harriet. Don’t… don’t worry about me. Why, I’ll… perhaps I’ll kill the beast before you even get to Dundorma. I’ve fought my fair share of Tigrex. I can hold my own against this beast, I’m sure.”

“Like Freida did? Like Geoff did?”

“I can’t… Nonetheless, it must be done. I have my lance. I have my shield. I can outlast a Tigrex in a war of attrition.”

“What of the creature? The dark shadow we saw?”

“If it challenges me, my love… I will make sure it does not leave unscathed.”

“Oh, Alistair, please…”

“Go, Harriet. Quickly, before it gets here. I can hear it breaking through the trees already.”

“Damn you, Alistair. Damn you! Don’t… Don’t die! Don’t you dare die! If you do… if you do, I’ll drag your sorry backside out of hell and kill you again!”

“I’d expect nothing less, my love. Now go! It’s almost here.”

The huntress hesitated, but leaned forward and kissed the hunter gently before turning and fleeing through the underbrush. The hunter sighed, stepping away from the dirt wall and walking towards the other side of the creek, unsheathing his lance and swinging it around to point towards the oncoming monster that continued to storm through the forest. A moment later he caught sight of it, tearing through the trees and charging directly towards him: a Tigrex, but with blackened skin, glowing red eyes… and a wave of black miasma steaming from its mouth with every breath it took. The hunter braced himself, bellowing loudly at the creature.

“Hold it right there, beast! If you think I’m going to let you take another step, you’ve got another thing coming! You’ve chased us far, but this is where your rampage ends! Come get me, Tigrex! Come kill me if you can! I’ve killed a thousand of your species, and I’ll kill you too! You and that black beast that that created you! Roar all you want, beast, it won’t save you when my lance pierces your - _hurk_. Damn it…”

* * *

Dear Ellie,

We enter the Blasted Lands tomorrow. I can see the tower just over the next few hills, and I’ve got to admit, it looks a lot more intimidating than I remember the Compound looking when we saw it for the first time. Though I suppose that one was mostly buried in a mountain. This one looks like it’s freestanding in the middle of a valley. I don’t know, it’s just got this eerie presence about it.

I’m sending this letter from the only village close to the Blasted Lands that still has postal service. It’s a small place with a lot of quiet, peaceful folks. There are a few farms where they grow crops, a small town smithy, and a general store. Seems really out of the way, but I kind of like it. It reminds me a lot of Boma, and I really miss that simplicity. There was some dispute among the villagers when they realized what we were here for and where we were going, but it was more of a plea for us to reconsider. I suppose these men and women are the kind of people who consider it a cursed place, not a holy one.

I have to admit, I’m getting nervous about this whole thing now. I try not to get pulled into this superstitious stuff like the locals do, but with the way everyone we’ve talked to goes on about it, I’ll admit it’s making me nervous. But we’re still going to press on. Harker doesn’t believe in this superstitious stuff, and I’m certainly not going to let him head in there on his own, no matter how uncomfortable this is all making me. I suppose on the bright side, if there is something there waiting to surprise us, Harker and I have a few surprises of our own to offer up.

Anyway, sorry this letter’s so short, but Harker’s rushing me. His excitement is getting the better of him, and he wants to head out as soon as possible. If I’d known he was in such a hurry, I would’ve written more last night. I guess I’ll just have to write an extra-long letter once I manage to drag Harker away from whatever we find.

Gotta run. Harker’s egging the guides to take us on, and I need to get this letter sent. I guess my suspicions I had about them in the last letter were unfounded, because we’ve been making a beeline for the tower for the last couple weeks. With our speed, we should be able to get to the tower in a day or two, spend a few days there so Harker can scour the area for whatever he’s looking for, then returning to this village so I can send another letter. I don’t know how long he’ll want to stay after that though. Hopefully he’ll get everything he wants after only a few days.

Tell the kids I miss them, and remind Sonia not to get too far in over her head.

With love, Levin

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Thanks for reading this chapter about a man writing letters to his wife! Please Review!
> 
> But welcome new readers, and hello again returning readers, to Shadows of the Past! This story has been a long time coming, and I hope you all enjoy the ride!
> 
> Playing: Pokemon X, MH3U, Pokemon AS, Fire Emblem: Awakening, Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor
> 
> ...
> 
> So, for those of you who may recognize this text, this is DBG, and I'm posting my Monster Hunter fanfiction here on AO3, to spread my writing onto other sites aside from FanFiction. 
> 
> For those of you who are new... Hello! I hope you enjoy the story! Truth be told, this is actually a sequel to my first story, The Lost Civilization, which you can find on FanFiction dot net. If you're interested in giving that a read, however, you'll need to head over to that site instead. I'm not posting that here, unfortunately... partially because I'm missing the original files and don't feel like digging them up. 
> 
> As for this story, at the time of posting this, I've written 39 chapters over on FF. I'll be posting chapters here on AO3 on either a weekly or bi-weekly basis (haven't decided yet), but if you're new and the story catches your interest and you're not patient, go check it out on FF. 
> 
> Finally, the bit at the top of these notes is what I posted at the end of the chapter on FF, though I've removed some more time-sensitive things, like talk of friend codes and other things. Again, if you really want to know what was posted otherwise, head over to the other site, and you can find things there. 
> 
> And truth be told I'm a bit unfamiliar with this site. If any veterans here have any advice on how to tag things or how to best present myself, please let me know and I'll adjust accordingly. Thanks in advance!


	2. Perir Town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Monster Hunter is copyright Capcom. All the characters in this story are mine, unless otherwise noted.  
> Edited by: Hoenn Master96 and Thomas A. Hawk and DinoJake

Warm sunlight filtered through the windows, brushing against Ellie’s face and lulling her from sleep. Cracking an eye open, she groaned a bit under her breath; the amount of light in the room meant she’d slept in a little too long… she should’ve been at the shop by now.

Her father would’ve opened up for her since he was always at the print shop early, and she’d hired a local girl to man the store during the mornings. She didn’t let anyone aside from her conduct the material trading though, and she knew that was the primary attraction. She really needed to hire someone who was good at bartering so she could take more time off, but she just hadn’t found anyone good enough to meet her standards. So, no matter how comfortable her bed was, it was time to get up and moving; there was work to do.

There was a quiet yawn and some sleepy muttering next to her, letting her know that the person next to her was easing out of dreamland as well. Rolling over in bed, she came face to face with the one who shared her blankets last night: a small boy, tightly clutching the storybook they’d fallen asleep reading. With another big yawn, the boy cracked his eyes open, looking around in confusion before looking at Ellie.

“Good morning, Van,” Ellie said sweetly.

“Morning, mommy,” the boy replied tiredly.

Ellie chuckled, leaning over and kissing him on the forehead. “Up and at ‘em. You’ve got school this morning, and we don’t want to be late.”

“Okay,” the child replied. Ellie grinned as the small boy rolled out of the bed, staggering his way wearily over to the door to return to his own room.

Van was Ellie and her husband Levin’s youngest child, already eight years old. He was small for his age, with messy brown hair and soft green eyes. He was a quiet, introverted boy, a real surprise considering he was her and Levin’s child. He always had a perceptive or curious look on his face, but never the eager or adventurous expressions that seemed dominant on everyone else in their family. Most of the people who knew them seemed shocked that one of their children was so gentle and soft-spoken, a boy who didn’t seem to care in the slightest about becoming a hunter.

But Ellie didn’t mind at all. In fact, she loved him all the more for it. She’d never known real stress and worry until her daughter Sonia had decided to become a hunter, and even as an apprentice she came home frequently enough from hunts with a new scar or wound which sent Ellie into fits of maternal worry. She’d known it was part of the occupation, but it didn’t make Ellie feel any better. No, Van not having any interest in hunting was perfectly fine with her.

It took about half an hour to prepare for the day after Ellie managed to roll out of bed, but soon enough she and Van were out the door, making their way down the hill towards Perir Town. Ellie, Levin, and their children all lived in a cozy house at the base of the mountains to the northeast of town. Ellie really loved the house, a comfortable cottage that had been made to spend the rest of their lives in, with enough room that they’d have space for all their hunting equipment, as well as extra bedrooms for their children and guests. With prolific friends like Kerry and Harker, it was space they’d certainly needed. It was quiet and out of the way, but close enough to be a pleasant walk to and from town. Most importantly, both she and Levin loved the _privacy_ the rural location allowed. Even now, twenty-four years after the Alatreon had been slain, there were still people who dropped by in search of the ‘famous hunters’, and the distance from the center of town usually kept a majority of the story seekers from dropping by. Most of the people in town were kind enough to keep the location a secret as well, which was good.

Twenty minutes after leaving their home, Ellie and Van passed through the outer wall of Perir Town proper. The guard nodded politely to the two of them as they entered under the iron gate onto the main street. Buskers and shopkeepers were already in full swing, calling out to passerby to peruse their wares and claiming they had the best goods to offer between here and Orage Dell. It was the sound of business and trade, and music to Ellie’s ears.

Perir itself was a relatively new town, only a couple decades old and populated mostly by the Lost. After the death of the Alatreon all those years ago, there was a mass migration of Lost from the city of Loc Lac, with a majority of them setting out to explore and see the world with their own eyes. It was a well-needed branching out, as well; the world was not the same as it had once been for the Lost.

Millennia ago, the Lost had essentially ruled the world through technology and advancement, and believed themselves the dominant species on the planet. That had changed almost overnight, when the Alatreon had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, sweeping across the world and devastating cities and countries with a speed that overwhelmed humanity. Then terrible creatures, now simply called ‘monsters’, adding to the mayhem. In a few short years, the world the Lost had once known lay in ruins, and great and powerful creatures were now the most dangerous beasts on the face of the earth.

But that was not the end of the Lost, not completely. For reasons unknown, perhaps for its own amusement, the Alatreon had seen fit to ‘preserve’ some of the Lost. Some tens of thousands of Lost were swept up into massive azure crystals created by the Alatreon, put into stasis for thousands and thousands of years until around thirty years ago, when the crystals’ power faded and the Lost began to ‘awaken’. It had been challenging for the Lost to come to terms with the shocking changes to the world and adapt to it as best they could. Things had not been easy, but they’d managed to get along. At first, they’d all tried to cluster together at the desert city of Loc Lac, but after the Alatreon had been slain, something seemed to have awakened a thirst for exploration in the Lost, and they’d finally begun branching out to explore the world and make of it what they could.

Perir Town was one of the results of the Lost’s ‘exodus’ from Loc Lac. A small town’s worth of Lost, after heading west over the desert and through the mountains, found a large, relatively safe stretch of land on the far side of the peaks. It was fertile and warm, and there weren’t too many really dangerous monsters in the area, so the Lost had decided to settle in, planting themselves down right at the edge of the mountains and claiming the land as their own.

It had taken a couple rough years to get settled in, but the people proved to be determined, and with the town sitting right on the road between Orage Dell and Loc Lac, soon enough the first Lost town in Theron had become quite the trade depot for the western side of the country. With all the caravans and travelers going through the town, giving them a little wealth and room to grow, it wasn’t long at all before Perir began to prosper. With a majority of Perir citizens being Lost, there were many who were eager to try and bring back some of the old technology and ideas that had been destroyed when the Alatreon had razed their civilization. It had been slow to start, since most of the minute complexities of the Lost machines weren’t perfectly known, even by the Lost, but soon useful machines and designs were recreated, simplifying the lives of those within Perir, and the rest of the country began to take notice.

Ellie and Levin had moved to Perir only a couple years after its foundation, when Ellie’s father had decided to move to this new industrial town and try and recreate his own technology: the printing press. Books weren’t uncommon in Theron, but they certainly weren’t easy or cheap to print. There were a few methods with rudimentary machines that did similar work, and Daniel Geisel’s plan was to try and improve on that… and profit off of it as best he could. It took him a year to recreate old simple designs that he could remember, and a slow couple years after he’d gotten things running before his business picked up, when he began making thousands of copies of Lost books and spreading them out through the country. Those had been received with explosive popularity with people who became enveloped in stories that they were able to read, rather than simply listening to them in taverns or going to a theatre. After that, Geisel Printing really took off, with businesses opening in larger cities to print Guild reports and mission statements, and a few larger cities like Loc Lac and Orage Dell had even begun experimenting with newspapers.

That was her father’s business, however, and though she appreciated having a small library’s worth of books in their home, Ellie had a store of her own to look after. Geisel Sundries was her foray into the world of entrepreneurship, one which had ended up being more successful than she’d ever intended. Her plan had been to open a hunter’s shop that offered to trade monster carves and materials for different carves and materials, then try and trade those for other, more valuable goods. It had been an experiment to pass the time during her first pregnancy and maternity period, and she had discovered two things in the process. First, she was pretty damn good at haggling with other hunters. Second, the hunters actually _liked_ her store, despite her getting the better of them more often than not.

She had expected that the store would stay open for a while, and then she could just drop the bartering side of it and let her parents take over once Ellie got back into hunting. However, before she even gave birth to Sonia, the small store had boomed in popularity to the point that the hunters that frequented the shop were practically begging her to keep the trade service available post-pregnancy. It spared them the pain of having to hunt down those hard-to-get carves, or battle a monster they weren’t particularly fond of fighting. Ellie still wanted her parents to take over, but it seemed that neither Daniel nor Mary Geisel were very skilled in determining the value of monster parts. If the shop was to stay open, it needed to be maintained by someone who actually knew the value of hunting materials.

Ellie had still kept herself uncommitted to full-time work during Sonia’s early childhood. Admittedly, she really enjoyed the job, and earning herself a profit off a good trade gave her a thrill when she was successful. But at the same time, she also enjoyed hunting with Levin, and having the chance to do so without extraneous threats breathing down their necks was something the two of them hadn’t had the luxury to enjoy during the their earlier hunting years. Once Sonia was old enough, she and Levin had taken time to properly enjoy their occupation as hunters, traveling around Theron with their daughter in tow and challenging monsters that they’d never had the chance to. For five years, they’d lived out the exciting lives they’d always wanted, making friends and having adventures across the country. However, that had finally come to a halt when Ellie had gotten pregnant with Van.

Pregnancies were always a hard time for huntresses, if only because it was a sure way of stopping a hunting career cold for at least a year and a half for the pregnancy and maternity care. Going so long without hunting could end a career for good if the huntress didn’t have the dedication to get back into the game after so long. One child could usually be raised without too much challenge, but two or more generally ended a woman’s life as a huntress for good. Ellie only knew about four huntresses that had given birth three or more times and were still out hunting. She herself had gotten through Sonia’s birth well enough, getting through nine more years of hunting after that.

After getting pregnant with Van though, she’d decided to call it quits. Despite the low priority she’d put into her sundries shop, the store seemed just as popular with hunters, and Ellie really wanted to see what she could do with the business if she really put her mind to it. Besides, Sonia had been nearly ten years old at the time, and had spent most of her early life on the move, traveling across the country with occasional stints back in Perir Town. That kind of life just wasn’t good for a growing child; they needed stability in their lives. Not to mention that more and more dangerous monsters were appearing in the country, and Ellie just couldn’t risk her and Levin both being in such a dangerous occupation. It was tough at first, giving up the life of adventure, but one of them needed to call it quits for the sake of their children, and Ellie was ready and willing for it to be her.

In the end, she was glad she had. Though Sonia had huffed a bit at not going out on journeys with her parents again, she got some much-needed time growing up around other children her age and getting a proper education at the school that had been built in Perir. Van had certainly grown up in a better atmosphere as well, considering his quiet personality. Ellie’s trade business had proven exceptionally profitable once she got fully invested, providing her and Levin a steady method of income, even when Levin was knocked out of hunting for a month or two from injuries or other circumstances. She’d even managed to expand a little, and now Geisel Sundries had small shops in Orage Dell and the Compound too. Ellie had gotten to see Perir Town grow as well as the years passed, watching in awe as the Lost took what they had and made the growing industrial town that Perir was today, nearly doubling the town in size over the last eight years.

Nearly twenty-five years had passed since the fall of the Alatreon, and the world was advancing, slowly but surely. She and her friends were aging; Ellie herself was forty-five years old already, and she could feel her age catching up with her. Any day now she’d start seeing her hair greying; Levin’s hair was already growing a peppery color under the brown. But she still had a lot of life in her, and was glad she was around to see the world changing and take part in that change, even if only a little.

The day passed without incident. Ellie dropped Van off at school before making her way to her store, where she spent the day haggling with hunters and passing trade caravans. She felt like she’d been cheated when she’d sold some Large Wyvern Stones for less than she’d wanted to, but her mood had improved when she’d gotten hold of some Zinogre Skymeralds from a hunter for far less than she thought he’d trade them for. She didn’t know _why_ he was so desperate for Foul Venom Glands, but fifteen glands for two Skymeralds was a _steal_ in Ellie’s books. The man certainly looked as though he felt he was getting the better end of the deal though, so maybe he really didn’t like fighting Gigginox… Ellie didn’t really blame him. One man’s trash was another man’s treasure, and all that.

The bartering ended at four o’clock, despite the protests from the hunters that still lingered in Ellie’s shop. Ellie would hear none of it, however; with both Levin and Sonia out of town on their own adventures, Ellie was the only one available to take care of Van, and business could wait until tomorrow. She really needed to hire someone that could barter well for times like this… most of the ones she had working for her were sent out with their caravan to trade materials in villages and cities she didn’t have shops in. Ellie supposed it couldn’t be helped though.

Van was playing under a tree with a few of his friends when she arrived, but was eager to head home, carrying a book one of his friends had let him borrow under an arm. This was a common occurrence for the boy, who seemed to love to read anything and everything he could get his hands on, even if they weren’t storybooks. Ellie couldn’t help but wonder what an inquisitive boy like him would become in the future… a researcher perhaps? The thought sent chills up her spine, considering the type of researchers she knew personally.

The sun had passed below the horizon before they arrived home. Normally, it wasn’t uncommon for Ellie to return to lights on as her family beat her home. Today, however, the house was quiet. Levin was out on his expedition with Harker, and Sonia was on a hunt with Bram and Logan in the south, chasing down a Royal Ludroth and searching for some Machalite the local smith had requested. It was just her and Van tonight, unless the hunt went well, in which case Sonia and Bram might be home tonight… Ellie would have to cook a little extra, just in case.

She was halfway done with cooking dinner, Van leaning over the table behind her and poring through his book with rapt attention, when the sound of excited chattering could be heard coming up the path. There was a noisy clattering from the front of the house, and Ellie smiled to herself. Van’s eyes lit up as well, and he turned expectantly towards the entrance to the kitchen.

“Mom! Van! I’m home! And I brought friends with me!”

A vibrant blur of lavender and red flew through the door of the kitchen, immediately rushing up to Van and sweeping the boy out of his chair and into a bear hug. The boy giggled happily as he was swept around the room, legs dangling in the air as Sonia circled the table towards Ellie, an exuberant smile on the young huntress’ face.

While Van certainly seemed to be far and away from what people had expected of Ellie and Levin’s children, Sonia most certainly was not, though she was far more excitable than either Ellie or Levin had ever been. The apprentice huntress had taken after her mother for the most part, being the same height and similar physique, with a limber, taut body and strong legs made for speed and mobility. She had an oval-shaped face which was always lit up by her vibrant green eyes and a cat-like smile which rarely left her expression, and her dark brown hair was cut short, lying messily across her head.

She was wearing a relatively new, but surprisingly battered set of Jaggi armor, with the cap hanging down over her fluffy hair and holding it down. It wasn’t the highest quality armor, but she wore it proudly, as she did with nearly every weapon or armor that she’d had made since becoming an apprentice hunter. Sonia spent so much time moving around that it came as no surprise that her armor had been worn down and repaired by the local smith almost a dozen times.

Across her back was a pair of dual swords crafted from easily-distinguishable Royal Ludroth materials. Sonia had been rather enamored with dual blades in the last couple months or so, but she had been jumping between weapons ever since she’d begun her apprenticeship, trying to figure out what suited her best. First it had been sword and shield like Ellie had used back during her hunting years, then a stint with the long sword, before surprisingly playing around with a hunting horn for a full three months. Now she had the two swords on her back, but every once in a while Ellie would catch  her looking ponderously at her other weapons, clearly trying to figure out whether one of them would serve her better.

“How was the hunt, Sonia?”

“It went great!” the young huntress responded, grinning victoriously as she spun Van around in her arms and lifted him up onto her shoulders. “The Machalite was easy to find, and that Royal that was going after travelers was a cakewalk! We caught it really far inland, so it wasn’t able to keep in mane damp at all, and it only had a few Ludroth from its harem with it, so they weren’t much trouble to deal with either.”

“So things went well, then,” Ellie said with a slight sigh. She did worry about Sonia, and was always relieved when she came back unharmed.

“Wait until she tells you about the exciting part,” an amused voice said, as a tall young man strode into the kitchen.

“Ah, I was wondering where you were, Bram,” Ellie smiled.

“Sonia took off ahead of us,” the hunter replied with a grin, and the huntress chuckled sheepishly. “I imagine she was eager to get home to brag about the fight.”

Bram was a tall young man, over half a foot taller than Sonia was. He was surprisingly thin for his profession, though his arms and chest were fairly toned. He was far stronger than his appearance let on though, and could probably match most great sword and hammer wielders at his skill level in pure physical strength. He had a narrow face, with soft features and very gentle grey eyes. His hair was a very dark red, and had grown long over the years, trailing down to his shoulder blades and tied back at the base of his skull.

He was wearing a very reminiscent armor to Ellie, the dull yellow sponge of the Royal Ludroth. The fashion of the armor design seemed to have changed in recent years, and Bram’s armor design was more of a jacket and pants with a cap and mask, rather than the hooded longcoat that Ellie’s husband had worn as a rookie hunter. On his back was a bright orange bow made of Wroggi materials with a revolver-like construct connected to the grip and a large quiver strapped to his belt, nearly empty of its arrows. Ellie didn’t quite understand the reasoning behind the bow design, but Bram seemed to favor it.

“Bragging, huh?” Ellie asked, glancing curiously towards Sonia. “What’s all this about an ‘exciting part’?”

Sonia grinned enthusiastically. “On our way back to the village, we ran into a Gobul.”

“A _Gobul_?”

“Don’t worry, it was easy!” Sonia replied, waving a hand. “It wasn’t like we’d run into Goliath or anything. We cleaned it up almost as quickly as we did the Royal! We made filets out of it!”

“Oh, really?” Ellie asked, giving Sonia a distrusting look. “So you weren’t injured at all? You didn’t rush in too quickly this time?”

“Well… heh…” Sonia chuckled sheepishly, reaching up and rubbed her shoulder. Ellie could hear the telltale shifting of bandages beneath the armor. “I, uh… I may have played it a little risky and gotten nicked by the Gobul’s tail spikes. But my armor deflected the worst of it, so I didn’t get paralyzed or anything. And one of the Royal’s harem nipped at my leg… but other than that I barely got hit at all.”

Ellie gaze Sonia a scrutinizing look, before turning her attention to Bram. “And should I be asking _you_ how the hunt went instead? I know how much she likes to exaggerate her stories… _and_ how much she likes to glaze over the injuries she’s received. I know at least _you’ll_ give it to me straight.”

Sonia pouted at the accusations, but Bram grinned. “Actually, it really did go well. We _were_ caught off guard by the Gobul, but it seemed just as surprised by us as we were by it, and we managed to strike out at it first. I’ll let Sonia tell you the tale herself. She always cuts me off in the middle when I tell them anyway.”

“That’s because your stories are always so _bland_ ,” Sonia retorted. “You tell it like it’s a Guild report, not a _story_.”

Bram shrugged. “That’s why I leave it to you. Besides, all I really did was stand back and shoot it with arrows like always. Nothing exciting on my end.”

“Oh, come on!” Sonia laughed, jabbing at the archer’s shoulder. “Learn to brag a little, string bean! Don’t pretend like you don’t want to boast about how you sniped that Gobul’s lantern from sixty yards away.”

That got Ellie’s attention. “Sixty yards? To shoot a Gobul lantern? That’s quite impressive! I know some G-Rank hunters that couldn’t pull off that kind of shot.”

The young man chuckled sheepishly at the praise. “It was just a… Well, it was a pretty good shot, though I don’t think I’d be able to do it again.”

Ellie couldn’t help but smile at the red-haired hunter’s humility. Bram was like Van: a child that was quite different compared to his parents. He was the youngest child of Ellie’s best friends, Kerry and Harker Renfield, and yet he was almost nothing like them, personality-wise. Harker was… well, he was _Harker_ , manic and excitable, and while Kerry was more level-headed than her husband, she still went wild when it came to her experiments or whatever had caught her interest.

Unlike either Kerry or Harker however, or even compared to the rest of his siblings, Bram was calm, collected, modest, and almost always made sure to properly think through his actions. Ellie wasn’t sure why he was that way; maybe he hadn’t liked being compared to his family as a child, or maybe he had been so overwhelmed living with his brothers and sisters, all of whom resembled their parents in enthusiasm, that he had been left as a quiet and observant boy. Or maybe he was he was just the only one in his family that saw how often the others in his household ended up smoking and singed from their experiments, with holes blown into the walls of their labs and workshops, and actually decided to try to show a little more caution in his life.

In all honesty, Ellie wouldn’t have pegged him for the type to become a hunter once he was old enough, considering his quiet nature. At the very least, she’d expected him to take up some academic role like the rest of his family. Yet, here he was, proving to be quite adept at the occupation, if a little more modest than your average hunter.

Ellie smiled encouragingly at him. “There’s no harm in taking some pride in your accomplishments, Bram. You’ve worked hard to be as good as you’ve gotten, so you shouldn’t feel bad about bragging a little bit. Besides, you know what they say about hunting stories: any hunter that’s doesn’t feel up to boasting about their achievements has a friend or two that’s willing to do it for them.”

“That’s right!” Sonia grinned. “If you’re not going to tell people about what you’ve done out on our hunts, than I’m perfectly willing to do it for you.”

“Exactly, and do you really want Sonia telling _all_ your stories? The way she exaggerates things, in a couple weeks she’ll be trying to convince people that you shot the Gobul’s lantern blindfolded from the dark side of the moon.”

“Yeah, he’d… Hey! I’m not _that_ bad!”

Bram laughed though. “Sorry, Sonia; I think she’s right. Some of the stories you tell can get pretty outlandish. Need I remind you about the story you tell people around our first real large monster hunt?”

“What about it?” Sonia asked, scowling. Bram grinned at the expression though.

“My memory’s never been great, but there was only one Great Jaggi in that clearing from what I remember, and it only had a half-dozen Jaggis around it. Last time I heard you tell it there were two pack leaders and a whole legion of ankle biters.”

“And a gold-crown Arzuros,” Ellie added, earning a glare from her daughter.

“And a rockslide!” Van shouted from Sonia’s shoulders.

“Hey! Whose side are you on, you little devil?” Sonia snapped, swinging Van down from his perch and tickling him relentlessly, sending the child into fits of giggles as he tried to pry himself from her grip. “This is what you get for challenging a hunter, little man!”

“Vell, Hy vouldn’t kall hyu a hunter qvite yet, hey? Shtill gotta pass de test before hyu kan say dat, gurlie.” Ellie turned towards the door as a third hunter strode through the doorway, grinning in amusement at the conversation. He nodded politely to Ellie as he stepped into the kitchen. “Ho, dere. Sorry for intrudink. Hed to put my svord in hyu shed outside. Hyu door’s too schmall to fit it trough, hey?”  

“It’s fine, it’s fine…” Ellie sighed. “I’ve given up on the state of my door frames ever since Levin decided to make that jagged monstrosity of a switch axe he uses after we first moved in. Come on in, Logan.”

Logan was the adoptive child of Lynn Sturmtrum, one of Ellie’s oldest friends and mentors. He had grown up quite well since his childhood, shooting up until he was several inches taller than Ellie. He wasn’t quite up to Bram’s height, but made up for it by being much broader and much stronger than both of them put together. Logan’s years as a great sword user had left him strong and durable, even as a Lost, with powerful muscles needed to wield his heavy weapon. His vibrant blue eyes glittered brightly on his strong and handsome face, and he’d been letting his black hair grow long, tying it back behind his head and letting it hang down to between his shoulder blades.

His armor was something Ellie didn’t see too often, even in her occasional visits to hunting cities like Orage Dell or Port Tanzia: a heavy, aquamarine, plated mail made from Zinogre materials. Zinogre had been a rare, nearly unseen monster in Theron at the time of the Alatreon’s death, but many of them had been migrating into the country for reasons unknown and carving themselves a place into the ecological niche. Even so, hunters with experience battling the electric fanged wyverns were rare, but Logan had still managed to take down enough of the beasts to gather the materials for his armor, as well as the aquamarine and tan great sword that he’d left out in the shed.

Logan had certainly changed a lot since Ellie had first met him as a young boy. The Logan she remembered from that time was quiet, nervous, and somewhat sullen. The Logan before her now… well, he’d long since turned into what normal civilians thought of your everyday hunters: confident and self-assured, quick to laugh and quicker to boast of his endeavors, and always carried himself with a bit of swagger, especially when he was fully decked out in his armor. He’d even become a shameless flirt, if rumors going around town were any at all accurate…

Which wasn’t to say that he hadn’t _earned_ the confidence and pride he had in himself. From what Ellie had heard, he’d taken the exam almost immediately upon turning eighteen years old and passed with flying colors, and in the ten years since then, he’d gone on to make quite a name for himself, standing out as an exceptional hunter. He’d proven to be competent enough that Ellie likely would’ve looked on his career with envy if he’d been a hunter at the same time she had. There were even rumors that the Guild was thinking of raising him to the coveted G-rank level, something usually reserved for only the finest of hunters. He might even have received it already, had his hunting career been half as _adventurous_ as Ellie and Levin’s own had been. But it seemed that fate destined Logan for an average hunter’s life, and he had to work his way up the ranks without an unexpected, fantastic exploit to boost him along.

“Do you have anything to add about the hunt?” Ellie asked, and Logan grinned enthusiastically.

“De both uf dem doink pretty goot. Tinkink it vas a sheme dey missed dey chance to take de eksem last veek. Tinkink dey kould hef passed vell und goot, flyink kolors und hall dat.” He nodded in Sonia’s direction. “Hyu gurl’s a schlippery vun. Hall de svinks de Gobul took vith its tail, und hall de svipes from de Royal, und hyu liddle gurl vas dodgink everyddink. Hy know hyu don’t like de vay hyu gurl puts herself in danger, but she got goot instincts. She be fine, hey?”

“Yeah, well… Doesn’t make me feel much better about it,” Ellie sighed, glancing at her daughter. Sonia chuckled sheepishly as she passed Van over to Bram, who put the boy on his own shoulders. With the archer’s height, the boy’s head nearly touched the ceiling.

Logan grinned in amusement though. “Ja, Hy tought so. Maybe it runs in de family den? Momma used to tell schtories about de schtuff hyu und hyu husbund got up to in hyu hyunger days. Hy remember a few schtories de two uf hyu told me hyuselves too, vay back ven, und dey veren’t alvays tales uf beink hall kareful-like, hey?”

Ellie flushed a bit at the accusation. “Levin and I may have gotten ourselves into some sticky situations… but most of them were Levin’s fault anyway.”

“Ho! Konvenient he’s not here to defend himself,” Logan laughed.

“Very…”

“But Hy’m tinkink dey’s zum times ven it vas hyu dat vas to blame, hey? Seem to recall vun tale ‘bout a Raddian dat almost burned de Flooded Forest down, uf hall places…”

“Wait, really?” Sonia eyes lit up curiously. “I haven’t heard that one before!”

Logan grinned at the girl’s enthusiasm, even as Ellie glowered at him. “Und Hy remember anodder vun ‘bout a Great Wroggi hunt dat vent especially sour…”

Ellie blanched at the words before giving Logan a venomous glare, though it only seemed to make the man’s grin grow wider. Sonia, Bram, and Van all noticed, and their faces grew incredibly curious. Ellie crossed her arms and grumbled sourly. “I could’ve _sworn_ I’d never told anyone about that… and Levin _knows_ what I’d do to him if he ever told anybody. How the heck did _you_ hear about it?”

“A goot schtory’s a tricky tink to keep hidden,” Logan chuckled. “Hy heard de schtory from my modder, but who she heard it from… now _dat’s_ a mystery.”

Ellie could see the three others in the room staring excitedly between her and Logan, clearly interested in the full story, but Ellie quickly turned away and back towards the stovetop.

“I think that’s enough of such talk for now,” she stated, earning a couple groans of disappointment. “Oh, hush. Now, I’ve got dinner going, and it won’t be much trouble to throw a bit more on there to feed the three of you two, unless you stopped by a restaurant before you came this way?”

“Nah, we’re famished!” Sonia replied quickly, plucking Van from Bram’s shoulders and plopping down into one of the seats, placing her brother in her lap as she rested her chin on the boy’s head.

“Well, you can spare a few minutes to get out of your armors first, I think,” Ellie replied quickly. “We have an armory in this house for a reason. Not you though, Logan. I don’t need you stripping in my kitchen, unless you brought spare clothes from your apartment.”

“Heh, ekshibitionism ain’t zumddink Hy’m fond uf, hey?”

“Not if what I’ve heard from the tavern-keeper is true. You’re apparently an interesting drunk, Logan.” The great sword user flushed and chuckled in embarrassment. “Anyway, it’ll take a few minutes to get everything ready, so you can regale me and Van with your latest escapade once you've changed. If you don’t have another hunt planned for tomorrow, I can call for some of the Guild Felynes to come and clean your armors…”

“Eksually, before ve get gun on de huntink schtories… dey vas zumddink Hy vanted to ask hyu about, Mrs. Geisel,” Logan said seriously. “Zumddink kuncernink Sonia und Brem’s trainink.”

Ellie raised an eyebrow at the great sword wielder, looking over to her daughter and Bram, but both the apprentices seemed just as surprised as she did, glancing inquisitively between each other. “And what’s that?”

“Vell, like dey vas talkink about, dey missed dey chance to take de hunter’s eksem in Orage, since dey vanted to take it togedder, und Brem’s schtill got a few months before he’s old enough. Dat means dey got to vait anodder six months ontil de nekst vun, hey? Dey both pretty much ready, so Hy vas tinkink, vat if ve schpent doze six months on a bit uf an adventure?”

Bram looked slightly concerned at the words, but Sonia’s face had lit up excitedly. Ellie’s eyes widened in surprise, but she gave Logan a cautious glare. “What kind of adventure are we talking about? I _am_ a retired hunter, Logan, so I do know that ‘adventures’ aren’t exactly the safest things in our profession…”

“Noddink dat dangerous, Hy tell hyu dat right avay,” Logan replied quickly, raising his hands defensively. “Hokay, lemme eksplain. So, Hy’ve done zum travelink since becomink a hunter; fought a lot uf monsters, seen a lot uf places, made a lot uf friends. Dat kind uf tink, hey? Hennyvay, kouple years back, Hy vas in de Tundra und end up chasink a Gigginox really far east, und me und my teem eksidentally krossed de Gahin border viddout even knowink it.”

“Really? That’s not good…” Ellie muttered worriedly. She’d heard of the rough border issues that Theron had with Gahiji, and they didn’t always end well.

“Did you get sent to prison?” Sonia asked, earning an exasperated look from Logan. “Is this an informative on how to do a prison break? Because I could ask my mom or Bram’s parents if I really wanted to learn about that kind of thing…”

“I’m pretty sure that’s not it, Sonia…” Bram said.

“There were extraneous circumstances behind that and you know it!” Ellie huffed. “And Logan better _not_ be thinking of teaching you two something like that…”

“Ho, don’t vorry ‘bout dat,” Logan laughed. “No prison time for me. De border issues been gettink a lot kleaner und nizer de last few years. Maybe Hy get in a bit uf trubbel vith de Gahin Guild if tinks vent anodder vay, but lemme finish my schtory.

“Hennyvay, de Gigginox goes over de border ‘bout ten miles or so, ven it hits a karavan passink trough. Now de karavaners, dey ain’t schtupeed, und dey got hunters dere ready to fight uff hennyddink big und nasty dat komes der vay. Problem iz, dey ain’t never fought a Gigginox before. Dey seen doze odder ugly tinks, Khezu Hy tink dey kalled, but not our kountry’s nasty vorms, und dey hevink a lot uf trubbel vith it. Dey vas ekspectink _electricity_ , like de Balefuls, but dey vasn’t ready for hall de poison. Now, de Gigginox might hef made a real mess uf tinks, if me und my teem didn’t finally katch up und leap in to safe de day. Made real schort vork uf de nasty tink, und de karavan vas real grateful-like, hey?

“Kourse, ve mighta been a bit nervous ven ve find out dat ve in Gahin territory on eksident. But de leader uf de karavan, he vas a real nize guy, hall tenkful, und he tells us he make sure dat de Gahin Guild don’t kome down on us herd or noddink like dat. Guess he hed zum friends in high places or zumddink, hey? He tells us dat he owes us a big favor for savink his karavan, und lets us know dat if ve ever vant to kall it in, to let him know.

“Hy don’t know if de odder guys Hy vas vith for dat hunt ever turned in der favors… Maybe dey don’t even remember it? But Hy deed. Hy got dis idea a few months ago, after Sonia said she vanted to take de eksem vith Brem. Hy sent dat karavan guy a letter, und ask him if dey’s a vay for us to go und train dere for a fev months, fightink monsters dat ve don’t get to see here in Theron. Und he said yes! Guess de hunter in his karavan retired recently, und he vas lookink for hyung blood to fill de gaps, und vas be fine vith lettink us travel vith dem for a vile. Said he von’t be gun trough real dangerous areas eidder, so hyu don’t gotta vorry about us fightink hennydink too nasty, hey?”

“I see,” Ellie muttered thoughtfully. “So your big adventure is to take them on a hunting trip through Gahiji?”

“Ja, pretty much. Tinkink ve schpend a fev months dere seeink de sights und fightink de low rank monsters dey got over dat vay, den ve kome back chust in time for de hunter’s eksem in Orage, und dey become official hunters. Sounds like a fun time, hey?”

“Hell yeah it does!” Sonia shouted excitedly, leaping to her feet. “This is great! We’ll see and fight monsters that nobody in town has even _heard_ of before!”

Ellie watched as Sonia began spinning Van around excitedly. Bram stayed at the table, smiling a little as he watched Sonia twirl around the kitchen, but Ellie could see the excitement in his eyes. Clearly he was just as thrilled about the idea as Sonia was, though he tried his best to keep a more subdued appearance. Logan grinned, clearly pleased that they liked the idea.

Ellie didn’t know how to feel about this whole ‘adventure’ though. She didn’t know too much about Gahiji herself, only that getting across the border was rather challenging, though the restrictions had been getting less stringent over the last few years. Levin’s letters had been rather enlightening, if not exactly encouraging. This whole ‘opposition to technology’ thing was new information, though Ellie supposed it didn’t really matter too much, since the three hunters in her kitchen didn’t really rely on the more tech-heavy weapons… Well, Bram did, sort of. He actually owned a switch axe, though Ellie had only seen him use it a handful of times over the course of his three-year apprenticeship.

Ellie’s uncertainty seemed to be caught by the hunters in the room, because Sonia’s cheering grew a little quieter, and she began looking at her mother with hopeful, slightly pleading eyes. Logan cleared his throat a bit as well. “So, uh, vat hyu tink, Mrs. Geisel?”

“Just in time for the hunter’s exam, you said?” Ellie asked. “So you’d be gone for a full six months?”

“Heh, ja,” Logan admitted. “A real long journey. But hyu know how it iz vith hunters, hey? Vunce dey get dey journeyman licenses, dey both sure to travel to zum hunter’s hub like Orage or Tanzia or Yukumo to take on de _real_ challenges. Figure dey might as vell get a taste uf de real hunters’ life, gun out und travelink from town to town, takink missions for lotsa folk in lotsa places.”

Ellie sighed, leaning against the cabinet behind her. She wanted to argue… but she couldn’t think of any decent retorts against the great sword user’s case. And she knew she wouldn’t, either. Logan was right: Ellie _did_ know about the hunter’s life. Logan’s ‘adventure’ was something that would have excited Ellie in her hunting years, and was nothing that Sonia and Bram wouldn’t get up to one day or another if they kept being hunters. Even if they were just apprentices, they still traveled around quite a bit, taking care of hunt requests from villages and towns in the nearby area. This trip to Gahiji would be no different, just… much farther away.

And really, that was the only issue: Ellie just didn’t want her little girl to be so far away. Wanting her not to go for something as simple as that though… that was just her being selfish, and Ellie knew it.

“What about all the paperwork?” Ellie asked weakly. “Traveling to Gahiji isn’t easy…”

“Taken kare uf,” Logan replied quickly. “Vell… most uf it. My friend over dere took kare uf a lot uf de vork, gettink hall de papers to let us into de kountry. Hall ve gotta do iz fill in a few blanks und ve be ready to go, hey? Nize und easy.”

Ellie was silent for a moment before smiling, impressed. “You’ve really put a lot of thought into this, haven’t you Logan?”

The great sword user grinned sheepishly at the praise. “Vell… kan’t say Hy didn’t vant to go myself. Dis iz chust as much an adventure for me as it iz for dem, hey? Chust, uh, needed to make sure it vas goot vith hyu und Mrs. Renfield.”

“Aha! And now your ulterior motives show.”

“Ja, ja. Vas my evil plan hall along, to get hyu und Mrs. Renfield’s permission so Hy kould go to Gahiji und not feel guilty about leavink my helpless liddle apprentices behind,” Logan chuckled. But then his face grew serious, and a touch nervous. “So, uh, vat hyu say? Tink it’d be fine?”

Ellie sighed and smiled. “Well… I guess when it comes down to it, it’s not really my decision to make, is it? Sonia’s old enough to make her own decisions about these things now, so if she wants to go-”

“Yes! Yes I want to go!” Sonia shouted excitedly, and Ellie shrugged.

“I guess that’s that, then.”

“Yay! Thanks mom!” Sonia said, slipping around the table and pulling Ellie into a tight hug.

“No problem sweetheart,” Ellie replied, returning the hug. “I just hope you’ll be safe and have fun out there.” As the huntress pulled away, Ellie returned her gaze to Logan. “So, when exactly do you plan on leaving for Gahiji? If you’re going to talk to Kerry first…”

“Eh… ektually, vas tinkink uf headink out first tink tomorrow mornink,” Logan replied, earning a surprised look from Ellie. “Is like hyu said, de eksem iz in six months. Dat’s a long time to be avay, but for us dat’s _only_ six month in Gahiji, hey? Hy vant to be dere as soon as possible. Vas tinkink dat ve fly out und talk to Mrs. Renfield tomorrow, den Hy go see _my_ modder, den ve head to Gahiji. Vith luck, ve be dere viddin a veek.”

“That’s rather abrupt.”

“Ja, vell, chust got de letter from my friend right before ve left on de Gobul hunt. Everydink’s ready, ve chust need to get dere.”  

“I guess that means we’ll need to get packed tonight,” Bram said thoughtfully. “Should I bring my switch axe? It’s pretty big, and I don’t really use it too often, but if I felt up for it, it’d be nice to have with me…”

“Ah! That’s right!” Sonia gasped. “How the heck am I going to pack all my weapons? My dual swords and sword and shield shouldn’t be a problem, but my longsword and hunting horn are kind of big…”

“This is why I said you should try and focus on one or two weapon types, Sonia. You can’t exactly haul around a small armory for things like this. Your item chest doesn’t have infinite space inside of it. Maybe you should try reading those books your Grandpa gave you, the… what are they called? The Pack Rat Guide and something else?”

“Nuts to that. It just means you’ve got to get creative with inventory space! I’m going to bring all my weapons with me somehow. Maybe if you-”

“I’m not letting you put anything in my item box, Sonia.”

“Aw, pecker…”

Logan chuckled at the conversation. “Hy schould be gun now, den. Gotta get back to de inn und get my own schtuff ready, hey?”

“At least stick around for dinner, Logan,” Ellie told the great sword user, returning to the stove. “If this is going to be the last time I have the three of you around for a while, at the least we can all eat together.”

“Erm… maybe Hy go back to de inn, hey?” Logan said nervously. “Hyu know… gotta pack und hall dat…”

“I think he’s just afraid of your cooking, Mrs. Geisel,” Bram chuckled, making Logan shoot the archer a dirty look. “Pretty sure Lynn has been telling him about more than just your hunts.”

“Hey! I am _not_ a bad cook! Not anymore at least. Just because I… _may not_ have been the greatest back when I was still a journeyman hunter doesn’t mean that I haven’t improved since then!” Ellie pointed intently at one of the chairs at the table. “Just for that, you sit your butt down and I’ll prove it.”

“Eh… hain't goot to hef food poisonink ven hyu on an airship, hey? Hyu puke over de side, hyu might hit zumone.”

“Sit, Logan.”

“Hoy, yez ma’am…”

.

There was a brisk chill in the air as Ellie made her way through the streets of Perir Town. The sun had yet to rise, though a fiery glow hung just over the silhouettes of the mountains, preparing to cover the land in bright light, but for now the earth was cool, and frost coated the grass around them.

Ellie had managed to borrow an Aptonoth-drawn wagon from one of their neighbors to transport the three hunters and their item boxes to the airship landing field on the north side of town. It was a slow, bumpy route, and the wagon smelled slightly of crops and herbs, but the four of them were in no hurry. The first airship didn’t take off until the sun was fully over the horizon, and that wasn’t for a while yet. Sonia spent the entire trip in the back of the wagon, prattling excitedly with Bram, wondering what they would see and do once they got to Gahiji, while Logan sat up front with Ellie, making idle chit-chat.

The airfield was quiet as the wagon pulled towards it, save for a single airship that was preparing for the sun to rise. The engines rumbled away, but their designs had been getting quieter over the years, and while they were still rather noisy, it was nothing compared to the roaring that first few airships had produced. A few travelers milled around, some hunters, most civilians, readying to board once they were allowed to.

As the wagon rolled to a halt near the airship, the three in the back hopped out to unload their boxes while Ellie went over to pay the travel fee. It wasn’t the cheapest thing in the world, but fortunately airship travel was cheaper for hunters. It was pretty good business sense: if the country’s arguably most important individuals were able to use such a fast mode of transport cheaply, then its popularity would continue to grow.

Once the fare was paid, the five of them made their way over to the gangplank leading up to the deck of the ship. A small line had gathered, and those that were leaving were either waiting to head onto the ship or saying their goodbyes to their friends and loved ones. Ellie paused before reaching the line, however, turning to face Sonia. Her daughter immediately dropped the handle of her item chest, opening her arms and wrapping them around her mother in a tight hug.

“I’m going to miss you, Sonia,” Ellie said, squeezing her tightly. “Try and watch yourself, would you?”

“Don’t worry, mom. I’ll be fine,” Sonia replied, hugging her just as fiercely. “I’ve got Bram with me after all. And Logan too, I guess.”

“I know, I know… Keep an eye on the boys. I know I ask Bram to take care of you, but I expect you to watch out for him too. And maybe Logan as well; your hunting teacher can be a bit rambunctious from what I’ve heard, and I don’t need you and Bram getting caught up in his tomfoolery.”

“Hoy, Hy hain't dat bad…”

“Hehe. Don’t worry mom, I’ll keep an eye on them both.” The two held on to each other for a few moments longer, before pulling apart. Sonia knelt down and swept up Van, giving her brother just as affectionate a hug as her mother, before lowering the boy to the ground again. “Want me to look for dad while I’m over there?”

“If you want, sweetheart, but your father’s supposed to be quite a bit further north than you three, and in a more dangerous area. I’ll send him a letter and let him know that you’re going to be in Gahiji though. Maybe he’ll come meet you somewhere.” Ellie glanced over at Bram and waved him over. “Come here, Bram. I may not be your mother, but with as long as I’ve known you I might as well be. Give me a hug.”

The tall young man chuckled sheepishly, flushing a bit in embarrassment as the retired huntress summoned him over, wrapping her arm around him in a hug. Bram had to slouch a bit to get his arms around her, but he gave her a hug just the same.

“Keep an eye out for Sonia, would you?”

“Of course, Mrs. Geisel,” Bram replied.

“And keep an eye out for yourself too. I don’t want either of you coming home with some terrible scar or worse, okay? Promise me that the both of you will watch out for each other. I know you’ll be fine if you do that much.”

“I promise.”

“Good. Give Kerry my love, okay?” Ellie smiled as she released the young man, pulling away from him as he went to gather his item box again. The retired huntress raised an eyebrow towards Logan last of all and smirked. “You want a hug too?”

“Heh. Tink Hy’ll pass, hey?”

“You sure? I’ve known you since you were knee-high you know, even if you haven’t been around as much as Bram.”

“Shtill, no tenks. Safe hyu vell-veeshes for de apprentices, hey?”

“Alright, if you’re sure. Say hello to your mother for me. You _are_ going to visit your mother before you go traipsing off to Gahiji right?”

“Ho, yah, don’t hyu vorry ‘bout dat. Ve gonna head back dat vay vunce ve talk to Mrs. Renfield so Hy kan see her before ve go. She’d hunt me down und gimmee vun heck uf a schmack if Hy vent uff to anodder kountry for six months viddout seeink her first.”

“Ha, I don’t doubt it.”

There was a call from the deck of the ship, and those at the base of the gangplank began scurrying a bit quicker to board. The three hunters hurried to grab their item chests, hauling them up to the deck of the ship along with the rest of the passengers, before vanishing from sight as they dragged their goods below deck. Ellie waited patiently with Van until Sonia reappeared, dragging Bram alongside her with Logan following behind.

“Bye, mom!” the hunting apprentice called down. “I’ll be sure to write! I’ll get some souvenirs too! I’ll miss you!”

“I’ll miss you too sweetheart!” Ellie called back. “Take care of yourself!”

“I will! See you in six months!”

Further down to ship’s hull, the roar of the engines began to grow noisier. The crew of the shipyard began loosening the ropes tying the airship down, and the hull started to lift off the ground. Flames roared from the burners as the blimp filled with hot air, and the ship slowly began to rise. Once the airship was several dozen yards off the ground, the engines really kicked in, and the ship began pushing east, rising up towards the peaks of the nearby mountains.

Ellie and Van continued to wave as the airship rose into the sky. Soon enough though, the airship was too high and far for the retired huntress to make out her daughter anymore, and she and Van finally turned and made their way back to the wagon. The Aptonoth was grazing peacefully on a pile of hay as the two of them took a seat, but Ellie didn’t pull the creature from its meal quite yet, instead turning to watch the airship fly away. It was still visible, a large dot in the orange sky, slowly making its way further east. In a few minutes, the airship would pass over the mountains and out of sight.

Ellie had to admit, it was a lonely feeling, watching Sonia fly away like that. She’d seen her daughter leave in much the same way before, on short hunts for some monster that Logan had found for her and Bram to fight, but she always knew her little girl would be back in a few days, maybe a couple weeks at most. But now she was heading off on a real adventure of her own, a six-month journey through Gahiji. She’d see places Ellie had never seen, fight monsters Ellie had never heard of, and experience things Ellie had never known…

It made Ellie a bit envious to be honest. Even after all these years of retirement, she still longed for the exciting life of the hunter, and wanted to go out and see the world with her own eyes…

But that wasn’t her world anymore. She’d traded it away for something different. It wasn’t as exciting as hunting, it didn’t offer the same feeling of exploration, pride, and courage that hunting did, but she was happy here, and she was needed. She had a business to run, a role in the community, and most importantly she had Van to take care of. With her husband and eldest child running around the world on their little hunting soirees, someone needed to stay behind and make sure that their home was kept all in one piece.

“Are you okay, mommy?” Van asked curiously, looking up at her. Ellie smiled comfortingly at him and kissed him on the forehead; he’d always been a perceptive boy.

“I’m alright, dear. I’m just going to miss your sister while she’s gone.”

“Oh. Me too,” Van replied simply, looking back up towards the mountains to the east.

“Come on, now. Let’s get home,” Ellie said, clicking the Aptonoth into motion and aiming the wagon back towards home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Thanks for reading this chapter about a retired huntress! Please Review!
> 
> I think I’ve been watching a little too much GenerikB… Oh, well. My writing has always been full of strange references and pokes at gameplay mechanics.
> 
> I’ll warn my dear readers here before things really get going: the next few chapters are going to be a bit of exposition. A lot of time has passed since The Lost Civilization, and there are a few things that readers will be interested in. My long-time readers might be used to this kind of thing, since I try to focus on world and character development, using monster hunts as interesting filler and plot devices. However, in comparison to my last story, I actually know when the first large monster hunt will be, and it’ll be one of the new ones!
> 
> Playing: MH3U, Animal Crossing New Leaf, Pokemon X, Hyrule Warriors, LoZ: Link Between Worlds, GTA5, Pokemon AS, Fire Emblem: Awakening, Shadow of Mordor, Bravely Default  
> Listening: Tom Petty, Mumford and Sons, Animal Collective, Pet Shop Boys  
> Reading: Stand Still Stay Silent by Minna Sundberg


	3. The Compound

With a yelp and a grunt of pain, Bram was knocked flat onto his back. Sonia smirked in amusement from her seat next to the railing as he pushed himself upright with a grunt of pain.

“Aw, come on, Bram! You gotta do better than that!”

“I don’t see you in the ring, Sonia,” the archer muttered sourly, rubbing his back.

“Of course not. There has to be a pretty lady on the sidelines for the contender to try and impress during his fight.”

“Oh, really? Then where is she now?” Bram asked, looking around the deck of the ship. “I guess she must be below deck preparing for landing.”

“Jerk!” Sonia laughed, swinging her leg up and playfully kicking Bram in the shins. Her fellow apprentice yelped in pain and hopped back away from her.

“Oy, lad!” a deep voice boomed. Standing in the center of the deck was a broad, muscular man, rolling his shoulders as he smirked through a bushy black beard. A good dozen men and women were standing around him just outside a chalk-drawn circle, watching and cheering in expectation. “You ain’t done yet, are you? Quit your flirting and get back to fighting! Time enough for the rest of that once I’m done cleaning the deck with you!”

“I was not-!” Bram groaned, shaking his head in embarrassment. Sonia laughed and shoved him forwards.

“Go get ‘em, tough guy!” she called, earning a glower from him as he approached the burly man.

Sonia watched expectantly as Bram cautiously made his way towards the center of the deck again, holding his arms up defensively. The big man in the center of the ring hardly seemed to care, holding up a hand and beckoning Bram over. Bram was cautious in his approach, eyeing his opponent warily as he crossed his arms over his chest, twitching his mustache slightly in amusement. As the hunter neared, Sonia could really see the difference in their physiques: Bram had always been a tall young man, and had several inches on his opponent, but he was quite slim, and the sailor was easily two or three times bulkier.

Bram was the first to strike, swinging low towards the sailor’s side. That was a new tactic, Sonia noted; Bram usually aimed for the face first. The man reacted quickly, uncrossing his arms in a flash and knocking the hunter’s fist aside before retaliating with a swift punch towards Bram’s gut, but the hunter pulled back swiftly enough to dodge. After a few rounds with the man, Sonia had seen that Bram’s opponent was much faster than his size would lead one to believe, and Bram had learned to be careful.

The man didn’t immediately follow up, smirking as and crossing his arms again Bram pulled away. The hunter hesitated for a moment before pushing forward again. The man stood his ground confidently, allowing the hunter to approach, and when Bram swept a boot up to try and kick the man in the shins, he instantly stepped back from the kick before swinging his arm out in a wide clothesline swing. Bram cursed, bringing up both hands to catch the man’s arm, but his opponent’s strength was still enough to slide him sideways a foot or two.

Bram rushed his opponent now that he was within arm’s length, but the bearded man surprised him by grabbing Bram’s shoulder with the hand he’d swung with and dragging the hunter towards him. Bram yelped in surprise as the man snapped a foot forward, kicking the hunter’s feet out from under him. Bram would have toppled to the ground, but the burly man swept down before Bram could fall, grabbing the hunter’s leg.

With one hand on Bram’s shoulder and another gripping his leg, the man hoisted Bram into the air over his head, laughing a bit at the hunter’s shocked gasp and futile struggling before tossing him across the makeshift ring. Bram landed with a smack onto his back, sliding a couple feet across the deck before coming to a halt. Though he tried to push himself up for a moment, he eventually groaned and slumped onto his back, smacking the deck with his palm a couple times to signal his surrender. A raucous cheer went up among the crew, the burly man raising his fists victoriously.

“And that, ladies and gentleman, is one of the many reasons I’m the captain of this ship! I can beat the snot out of _anyone_ that causes trouble aboard _my_ vessel!”

There was some light applause from the circle surrounding the man, and Sonia could see money exchanging hands between the crew and a few of the passengers. It seemed like it was mostly the crew that was winning the money though. Sonia supposed a fair number of people would have thought Bram would win, being the hunter rather than a civilian. She quickly pushed her way through the ring of people towards Bram as the young man pushed himself into a sitting position, but the captain of the ship beat her there and extended a hand to him.

“Come on, I expected better from you, lad!” the captain chuckled, helping Bram to his feet. “Aren’t you a hunter? Thought you boys and girls were supposed to be the toughest of the tough?”

“Yeah, well… I’m more accustomed to using a bow rather than my fists,” Bram replied with a grimace. “There’s also a difference between fighting something twenty times your size as opposed to another human being: the first is an easier target. You can train to fight monsters, and you can train to fight people, and I’m clearly more skilled in the former than the latter.”

“Well, that’s a bit obvious, kid. Though, to be fair, while I may be the best fighter aboard this airship, I’d be worthless fighting any creature nastier than a Bullfango. I just ain’t got it in me.”

“You certainly didn’t hesitate to pummel someone half your size though.”

“Heh, sorry kid! I can’t afford to pull any punches today!” the captain laughed. “I’ve got a bout scheduled with the champ in a couple weeks, and I gotta get in all the training I can manage between now and then!”

“You’re scheduling those now?” Bram asked, rolling his shoulder and wincing.

“‘Fraid so. The champ’s busy these days with all sorts of stuff. There only a few nights a month for anyone in the fleet to throw down a challenge, and nobody’s passing it up if they can help it! It’s been a couple months since I got my last shot, and I’m gonna come out on top this time!”

“Well, do your best,” Sonia encouraged. The man nodded appreciatively, turning and striding over to the remainder of the crew as he boasted a challenge to any man or woman aboard. Sonia chuckled before turning her attention back to Bram. “So how you feeling, string bean?”

“Like I was assaulted by the most skilled fighter on this airship, thanks to my _best friend_ throwing down the gauntlet for me without my consent,” the archer muttered sourly. “What a strange coincidence, right?”

“Sounds like it to me. Can’t imagine _why_ you’d ever feel like that. Reminds me of all that complaining I was hearing from you last week.”

“You mean when I felt as though my best friend had challenged the most egotistical rookie archer in Perir to a shooting contest on my behalf, _once again_ without my consent, and then nearly got us into a bar fight with him after I won by a single point?”

“Yeah, it really is. I don’t know _where_ all these crazy feelings you get come from.”

“I suppose they’re just a part of my overactive imagination.”

“Sounds about right.”

“ _Certainly_ not my best friend actively attempting to get me into trouble for the sake of spinning the resulting altercation into a decent story.”

“Oh, certainly not.”                                                 

Bram scoffed at the words, groaning again as he rubbed his back. “Well, the next time our airship crew decides to get into some friendly fistfights on the deck, I’ll volunteer _you_ instead.”

“That’s not very polite! Isn’t the handsome young gentleman supposed to fight for the affection of the pretty lady? That’s what happens in all the stories.”

The archer laughed. “I suppose all the handsome young gentlemen are below deck with all the pretty girls. Just us homely, brutish gentlemen admiring the view and getting their butts handed to them by the ship’s captain. And I thought you hated those types of stories?”

“Oh, I do. I always figured the damsel in distress should get her act together and fight her own fights. It’s just my excuse to get you into fun situations.”

“Ah! So you admit it!”

“There’s your overactive imagination going off again. You should get that checked.”

Bram scowled at her for a moment, before chuckling and leaning back against the wooden railing, sighing as he rested his aching body. Sonia grinned down at him before staring out at the horizon.

Sonia and Bram had known each other for… well, pretty much their whole lives. Sonia had been too young to remember it, but her mom and dad had brought her with them to Nastre when Bram had been born nearly eighteen years ago. A lot of Sonia’s early memories had Bram in them. With their families so close, it wasn’t surprising that they’d spent a lot of time together, even though Sonia and her family lived in Perir Town while the entire Renfield family made their home up in the Compound. Bram certainly had a lot of siblings that she got along with just as well, but something between the two of them had just clicked. They’d even vowed to become hunters together once they were old enough, and he’d lived in their house during their apprenticeship since Sonia’s mom had insisted on letting him stay in their spare bedroom.

Sonia may have been far more eager about becoming a hunter than Bram ever had, but he’d proven his ability time and time again. She knew she’d probably have two or three times as many scars and injuries as she did now if not for Bram, who did his best to keep her safe and grounded during even the most dangerous hunts. He had always been a more cautious individual than her, and despite his modest nature, he was a really good shot with a bow. They’d gone on so many hunts together that there were few apprentices or even rookies in Perir that had the same sort of coordination and teamwork that they did. Sonia supposed that was one of the boons for having been friends since before they were old enough to walk or talk. As long as the two of them were together, Sonia was sure that they’d be unstoppable as a team!

Well, for the most part. Sonia knew neither she nor Bram were quite up to snuff to fight anything tougher than a Gobul, not yet anyway. Until they got more professional experience, they wouldn’t stand a chance against something like a Rathian or Lagiacrus or Diablos…

_Or an exceptionally burly airship captain_ , she thought as she looked down at Bram. The archer seemed to sense her thoughts and glanced up at her with a flat scowl, making her giggle before turning away.

Sonia gazed down at the landscape below as it passed them by. She really loved riding airships; there was just nothing like it. The smell of the fresh air as it raced past them, the beautiful view below, and the way the entire world seemed to just open up in front of them. The freedom of it all! She envied the creatures that could claim the skies as their own: the Rathian and Rathalos, Qurupecos, Barioths, and even Gigginox. Sonia loved flying so much that she had seriously considered becoming an airship pilot herself when she’d been younger.

But she’d become a huntress instead. Despite how much she loved flying, she loved being a hunter even more. She was able to prove her strength and skill against the biggest, strongest, most dangerous creatures in the world! Well… she would one day. These days she spent most of her time hunting Great Jaggis, Qurupecos, Royal Ludroth, and the occasional Gobul. Sonia figured that she and Bram could probably beat a Barroth by now, but Logan was doing this whole thing by the book, and he wasn’t going to send them against anything too nasty before they properly got their licenses.

“Hoy, we touching down soon?”

Speak of the devil…

“Yeah, we’re getting close,” Sonia replied as the great sword user approached, glancing to the north. Just beyond the next peak, a large, pristine white tower could be seen rising up from the earth. “I think it’s another twenty minutes before landing. Where have you been all day, oh great hunting master?”

Logan gave the pair of them a wicked grin. “Was just staying down belowb introducing myself to all the pretty little researchers and assistants that was making they way to the Compound. Keeping them company.”

“Really?” Bram sighed, pushing back to his feet. “Even on a four hour flight?”

“And why not? They’s some ladies down there that are quite lovely, hey? Would be a shame if they didn’t get the attention they deserved.” The great sword wielder smirked, swinging an arm around Bram’s shoulders. “Maybe you is jealous? Don’t worry, Bram. I can teach how to get the women’s attention.”

“No thanks…” Bram grumbled, shaking the older hunters arm off of him as Logan continued to snicker. “I’m perfectly capable of talking to women by myself.”

“Ho, really? Then why haven’t I seen you on a date or nothing, hey?”

Bram flushed slightly as he stared at the deck. “I just… haven’t found the right girl yet.”

“Oh, leave him alone,” Sonia said, planting herself next to Bram. “If you’re so great at ‘getting the women’s attention’, how come you’re up here with us? _Alone_?”

Logan blinked before scratching his head sheepishly. “Well, they… lots of those girlies were a bit, eh… Well, they all heading to the Compound, and they the type that _belongs_ in the Compound, hey? Besides, a lot of them already had boyfriends or husbands, so…”

“And that stopped you?” Bram asked.

“Hoy, I got standards, hey?” Logan huffed, crossing his arms. “If a girlie’s with someone already, I is not gonna press it. That’s just _impolite_.”

“And you can’t enjoy the company of Compound people either?”

“Ugh… not really, no. They just so… You poppa and momma really bring in a certain type of folk to that place, hey? Not really interested in a girl that… ah… _eccentric_.”

“Bad memories from hitting on Mina that one time?” Sonia teased, and she laughed as Logan visibly shivered.

“Hoy… What you guys got against me today?”

“You’re the one who started this whole thing,” Sonia grinned, wrapping her arm around Bram’s shoulder. “Besides, you’re the _big, tough_ hunting teacher, after all. Isn’t it best that we work together against you?”

“Pah, I should have gotten apprentices that weren’t as sharp-tongued as you brats,” Logan growled, and Sonia and Bram both laughed at the man’s frustration.

For being their ‘hunting master’, Sonia had never really viewed Logan as such. Sure he’d been the one to show her and Bram the ropes of hunting, and had helped toughen them up, but she’d known Logan almost as long as she’d known Bram. His mother was a friend of Sonia’s parents, and whenever her work as Loc Lac councilmember brought her near the western forests, she always stopped by to visit, giving Sonia a chance to make friends with Logan, despite the boy being ten years older. As the years passed, Logan eventually became a hunter, and whenever he passed through Perir, he’d always come visit and share any new stories of his adventures with a young and very eager Sonia. He’d even moved to Perir himself after his mother had finally retired as Loc Lac councilwoman.

It was a year and a half ago when Sonia, who was _almost_ seventeen years old at the time, and the _much_ younger Bram, a full six months her junior, had sought him out and asked him to take them on as his hunting apprentices. He’d laughed and agreed immediately. Since then, they’d averaged at least one hunt a week for nearly two years, racking up an impressive amount of hunts for a pair of apprentices. They weren’t always successful, and they didn’t always come back from hunts without injury, but they’d definitely been building up experience and skill.

They’d been hunting together for so long that Sonia hardly even heard the accent in Logan’s voice anymore. She was just used to it by now.

Sonia had gotten a lot of questions about her and Bram’s decision to make Logan their hunting master, however. Why not her parents, or Bram’s parents? They were famous hunters, weren’t they? Why didn’t she have her dad teach her? He wasn’t retired like her mom was, and would’ve been willing to train her as a hunter, wouldn’t he?

All of those were true. Sonia could easily have learned from her mom or dad, or even Bram’s mother. Her dad was certainly the best choice, since he was neither retired nor too crippled to hunt properly. And yet Sonia and Bram had chosen Logan to teach them instead.

It was a decision that she and Bram had both agreed on: if they were going to become hunters, they were going to do so without their parents’ names behind them. Sonia loved her mom and dad, and had endless respect for both of them as hunters, but she wanted to stake her own claim to fame. She didn’t want people to think she was a great hunter because she was ‘the daughter of legendary hunters’ or ‘trained by legendary hunters’, she wanted people to expect greatness because she _was_ a great hunter, one that had _earned_ that title in her own right. She’d always have the Geisel name adding expectations of her, but she didn’t want to make things worse by saying she’d been trained by her parents as well.

Besides, her dad had always been a bit soft towards her, and she suspected that if she had asked him to train her to hunt, he wouldn’t have been as stern as he should’ve been. If the letters her mom had been getting recently were any indication, that seemed to be the case.

But this Gahiji trip… This was perfect! There were monsters that were practically _unheard_ of in Theron, numerous hunting grounds filled with creatures she’d never seen before, cities filled with new and unique weapons and armors! And most importantly, there would be less a chance of someone recognizing her and Bram by their surnames! Sure, the death of the Alatreon would’ve been made known across the countries’ borders, but it would be far less likely for anyone to hear her last name and immediately associate her with her parents. She and Bram would be able to prove their worth as _individuals_ , and not just because it was expected of them due to their lineage.

Sonia smiled to herself as she returned her gaze to the tower in front of them. She could already picture it, coming home in six months to ace the hunter’s exam and finally begin her career proper as a true hunter after spending several months making a name for herself in a completely different country. Maybe once she officially got her license, she’d go back to Gahiji one day too, to hunt some of the other monsters she’d wouldn’t get a chance to during this trip.

Only a couple more stops, and she and Bram would be on their way to Gahiji, where they would start becoming the great hunters they’d always dreamed of being.

* * *

“Ugh… it’s too heavy,” Sonia moaned as her item chest clattered down the gangplank behind her.

“Perhaps you would be better off ridding yourself of needless weight,” Bram replied from in front of her, dragging his own chest with relative ease.

“Easy for you to say… You’re both at _least_ twice as strong as me. And I _did_ leave some stuff behind, string bean. I left my long sword and hunting horn back in Perir, didn’t I?”

“I meant that small trove of monster materials you keep packed away in your box.”

“Hey, waste not, want not, right? Isn’t it better to be safe than sorry? You never know when you’re going to need that spare carve!”

“They’s a difference between having spare scales and that horde you keep in you box, hey?” Logan smirked. “Read one of you Grandpapa’s books ‘bout dragons that keep piles of valuable stuff they don’t need lyin’ around, but you could give ‘em a run for they money. They gonna call you ‘Sonia the Terrible’, guarding her treasure horde.”

“Aw, shut up…”

Sonia huffed as Bram and Logan got a chuckle at her expense. She’d tried to pack light, but she had picked up her dad’s tendency to collect materials, giving her probably about twice as much weight in carves as she really needed…

The three of them made their way over to a wide stone building nearby, where they checked in their chests to be picked up once they boarded their next airship. Sonia was glad to lose the heavy box, and she paused to look around as she caught her breath. The top of the tower was wide and expansive, but bland. A few airship hangars and a landing strip had been constructed near the edge of the platform, where half a dozen airships waited to take off. A few shacks and warehouses had been built as well, spread out and mostly built at the bases of the surviving aqueduct waterways that sprouted up from the platform. A lot were built close to the mysterious, dark blue pools of fluid that dotted the tower as well, a mystery that had still to be solved nearly twenty-five years after the tower’s discovery.

The three hunters made their way to the edge of the platform to a large ramp which had been built along the side of the tower. At the bottom of the ramp, a wide, gaping hole into the side of the tower opened up. The hunters didn’t hesitate, however, and strode quickly inside. It took a few moments for her eyes to adjust, but as Sonia grew accustomed to the dim torchlight, she looked around in excitement, eager to see what had changed since she was last here.

The Meridian tower, which was opened up and explored for the first time only twenty years ago, had been turned into an underground city. The brainchild of Bram’s father, Harker Renfield, after the first research expedition had scoured its way through the tower, the man had set forth to the turn the entire structure into the country’s largest research facility.

The Compound, as the structure was now referred to, was possibly the largest man-made structure ever built. It was an architectural marvel left behind by the Meridians, a civilization that had risen and fallen between when the Lost had been overrun by the Alatreon and now. Like the tip of an iceberg, the top of the tower where the airship had landed was only a glimpse of what lay within, and the tower itself was buried in the mountain, delving deep into the earth for over a mile straight down. At the core of the structure was a wide central chamber with two spiraling ramps which curved along the walls in a wide helix, from the upper platform to the very bottom far below. Branching out along the sides of the helix were hundreds upon hundreds of rooms and hallways, turning the entire structure into a massive underground complex.

It had been Harker’s plan to make the entire structure livable and, more importantly, functional. It was to be a haven for researchers and scientists like himself, where the finest minds would gather to conduct their experiments in a structure which could survive the most volatile reactions. And this tower was certainly made for that; the Meridian stone was nigh-invincible, immune to all but the most devastating blasts. For any man or woman whose studies were considered too strange or dangerous for normal labs, the Compound was the place to be.

In a mad effort that few could believe, he’d turned the entire structure into a habitable, self-sufficient facility in just over five years, suggesting years of planning before the structure had even been explored. With the aid of the Guild and several generous contributors, within five years of construction the Compound was ready for habitation. After that, Harker had begun inviting scientists and researchers from all over the country to make themselves a place here within the walls of the Compound. It had started off small, with a dozen or so of the most volatile and manic researchers bringing their experiments to the tower , but word spread quickly. Between Harker’s own fame and a few brilliant minds among the first few researchers who showed up, many more began migrating to the tower in order to see if there was room enough for them. And there always was; the Compound was positively massive, and most researchers were perfectly able to find a lab of their own in which to test their mad experiments.

These days, the Compound was akin to a city. The population had grown larger in the last eighteen years, and as more researchers and their families had come, room had been made for them to continue their lives as normal. The top few floors were complete with shops, homes, businesses, a school, and even several smithies and workshops. Machine-powered elevators had been built along the edges of the helix ramp to quicken travel between floors. Brightly-colored banners and signs livened up the ramps, making the place feel homely, despite being underground. Most of the structure was lit by torches, braziers, and glowstones, so that even without the sun the interior was comfortable for those within, though those that lived there were still encouraged to seek the light of the sun at least a couple times a week.

Sonia loved it here. It all seemed so mystical, an entire city hidden away underground, yet no different from any other save for the design of the structure. She’d been here so many times, yet it never ceased to amaze her. Logan’s eyes were darting around as well, taking in the sights as much as she was. Bram was the only one of them who didn’t seem in awe, but then again he’d been raised here, and his gaze only wavered from their path when he noticed something new that hadn’t been there since the last time he’d come home.

They followed the curve of the ramp until they reached a cluster of elevators, where dozens of people stood waiting for their turn. The machines were positively vital to the work conducted in the Compound, since getting from the top of the Compound down to the lowest floors by just walking the ramps could take upwards of a full day, and even using the elevators took at least fifteen minutes from top to bottom. It took a couple passes before the three hunters found the chance to board the elevator, making their way down towards the bottom of the Compound.

Far fewer people dwelled near the bottom, but the ones down there always seemed to have the most interesting ideas and conversations. As they neared their floor, Sonia stepped back politely as a pair of researchers stepped onto the lift, one tall and one short.

“Have you heard about Milo’s new experiment?” the taller researcher asked. The shorter one looked up from his notes curiously.

“Hmm? Oh, right, the… that new flying machine design. The, uh, the aeroplane. Yes, I’ve heard. What about it?”

“What about it? How about the fact that its design is utterly preposterous! Not a single gas bag on it!”

“Ah, yes… He’s hoping it should fly by speed and wing design alone. No monster materials either, just metal and leather. A strange idea… but not the strangest I’ve heard.”

“You call it strange. I call it suicidal! How’s he supposed to stay airborne if he doesn’t have a hot air blimp keeping him aloft?”

“Maybe he knows something we don’t know… He is a member of the Lost after all. They’ve presented a fair number of projects that have proven successful in the end, no matter how much the naysayers hemmed and hawed about it.”

“Being a Lost does not guarantee success. I still don’t believe half the things they’ve claimed they accomplished back where they came from, and flying without a blimp is one of them. A heavier-than-air construct will not fly. We’re not birds, after all. If it doesn’t have a gas bag to keep him floating, he’ll plummet, no matter how fast he gets that machine moving! At best it’ll be an expensive glider, hardly on par with a proper airship.”

“Harker seems to have given the project his approval. Didn’t even question the man too hard about it.”

“Harker gives _everyone_ his approval, if they’ve got a clear enough explanation of what they’re attempting to accomplish.”

“You’re awfully opposed to this whole thing,” the shorter researcher noted, shooting the taller one a cursory glance. “What do you care whether or not Milo is successful in his endeavors?”

“Because if he crashes that machine of his, we have to reset the ‘No Crippling Injuries in X Days’ board! Every time we have to do that, the Guild cuts our funding until we re-prove our worth to them!”

“So?”

“So if they cut our funding, it might be _my_ research that’s on the chopping block! They’ve been dropping my funding for years now, and if there’s a big cut from the Guild, I might have to… ugh, I might have to become an _assistant_ just to stay here!”

“The horror…” the shorter scientist said flatly.

“I know, right? My work’s too important to be shoved to the side like it is!”

“I thought you were trying to figure out how to turn Gigginox venom into cheese?”

“Precisely! As I said, my work is important! Positively _vital_ , I say!”

“If you say so,” the shorter scientist sighed wearily. “Ah, here’s my floor. If you’ll excuse me…”

“Ah, this is my floor too! Hold on now, my friend. Have you any Dash Extract I can use? I think that may be the catalyst I need to-”

The two voices faded away as the men entered one of the labs, and the three hunters looked at each other in confusion. Sonia giggled a bit in amusement as Bram shook his head, but Logan looked completely dumbfounded as the lift began to drop again.

“He wants to turn Giggi venom into… cheese? Why he want to-”

“I wouldn’t recommend questioning it,” Bram sighed. “Trust me, when you’ve lived here as long as I have, you learn to just smile and nod when the researchers get going.”

“Erm… ja, probably better that way, hey?”

The three of them stayed on the elevator for a couple more floors, before getting off a couple hundred yards from the very bottom. Down here were the larger and stronger labs, reserved for the most volatile experiments, or for the researchers that had proven themselves to be more brilliant and successful than their peers. Mostly for the volatile experiments though; a lot of the doorways into the labs had dire warnings, forbidding entrance on risk of death, dismemberment, or involuntary inclusion as a test subject.

There were still a fair number of people down here though, making their way towards a large archway nearby. The three hunters made their way towards the archway, but Bram suddenly slowed to a halt and glanced down one of the side hallways with an uncomfortable look on his face. Sonia and Logan both noticed, though Logan’s face soured a bit in realization.

“Hoy. What you stopping for, hey? Don’t need to go that way. You momma should be down through the arch, right?”

“Yeah, but…” Bram shook his head. “Mom’s gonna want me to talk to her sooner or later. Might as well get it out of the way now.”

Logan groaned a bit, staring back and forth between the archway below and the hall to the side. “Eh… can’t you wait? Maybe me and Sonia go on ahead?”

Sonia grinned at the great sword user. “Aw, come on, Logan. Don’t tell me you’re scared.”

“I is not scared! Just… don’t like talking to that girl, hey?” Logan grunted, crossing his arms.

“Well, you can go on ahead to the house if you want,” Bram replied with a shrug. But then he smirked at the older hunter. “You know… if you’re too scared.”

“Oh, that does it!” Logan growled, pushing his way past the younger hunters and striding towards the hallway. “We go and see the crazy girl, hey?”

Sonia grinned at Bram as they followed the great sword user down the hall, listening to him muttering sourly about ‘upstart apprentices’, ‘disrespectful brats’, and a few thickly accented phrases that Sonia didn’t even understand.

Most of the doors lining the sides of the hallway were closed and had warnings forbidding entry, but the trio’s goal was at the end of the hall: a pair of wide wooden doors that led to the farthest room. Logan reached the door first, but paused uncertainly at the entrance, waiting nervously for his two apprentices to arrive. Bram pushed past him upon catching up and knocked on the door a couple times before pushing through, not waiting for a response from within.

Inside was a veritable scientific haven, for those that favored that type of thing. Dozens of desks covered with research paperwork and equipment lined the walls, and numerous machines and contraptions littered the center of the room. None of the machines looked complete, all of them a mass of wires and disconnected parts. Sonia looked around curiously, but there didn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason to anything. The term ‘organized chaos’ came to mind, and Sonia was certain the occupant of the room knew exactly where everything was. The three of them walked further into the room, but it appeared empty.

“Guess she not here,” Logan noted, a tone of relief in his voice.

“I guess,” Bram replied, though his own voice was slightly relieved as well. “Well, we made an attempt. Let’s get down to the dome; my mother should be-”

“ _Well, well, what do we have here_?”

A jolt of terror shot up Sonia’s spine at the raspy words, spoken not a couple feet behind her. She quickly spun about, bringing up her fists defensively, and was met by a humanoid, ashen creature with red, glowing eyes and a line of shining, metallic fangs. The creature snapped its metal fangs together and Sonia yelped in shock, instinctively pulling away as the thing swept towards Logan. The great sword user gasped frightfully, swinging a right hook at the creature, but a palm swept up from below, swatting his fist away.

“ _Heheheh… You’re never going to stop falling for that, are you, Logan_?”

The hunter pulled away from the ashen creature, before narrowing his eyes and cursing. “Damn it all! Why you do that to me every time I come here, Mina?”

The creature laughed, and a pair of hands reached up, brushing across its face. There was a wave of ash and dust that fell to the floor, and skin began to appear out from underneath, revealing the face of a young woman wearing a long but very messy lab coat. Her hands went to her eyes next, where a thick pair of goggles was pushed up, aiming the two red glowstones strapped to the frames away from the three hunters.

Bram sighed wearily. “How did you do that to yourself, Mina? Did one of your experiments go awry again? Or did you do that to yourself with the intent of scaring Logan?”

“Wasn’t scared…” Logan muttered sourly.

“ _Sure you weren’t_ ,” Mina chuckled, her voice a deep rattle as she grinned viciously at him. Logan grimaced uncomfortably at the row of jagged metal fangs shining inside her mouth.

“You gotta keep those things in, hey?”

“ _Eh? Oh, right. Gimme a sec_.”

Mina reached up to her mouth and quickly pulled out a gleaming chunk of metal, slick with saliva. It was a mass of iron shaped into a curved mouthpiece, with numerous points and moldings that gave the impression of sharp teeth. Looking close, you could tell that they weren’t nearly as sharp as they first appeared, but they certainly retained a frightful appearance. Mina reached down to wipe the metal object off on her lab coat, before realizing how filthy she really was and setting the ‘fangs’ down on a nearby table.

“I’m not above making a mess of myself for the sake of a good laugh,” she told the three of them as she fluffed her hair and caused another cascade of ash to fall from her head. “But it really was a lab accident. My current experiment has some resonance issues that I’m trying to work out, and the most recent test resulted in… well, this. I would’ve washed off, but I got distracted by another one of my projects. Then the three of you tried to slink in, and I decided to give you and your friend a _proper_ welcome, baby brother.”

Bram grimaced at the words. “I’m hardly a baby anymore, Mina.”

“Pah, that doesn’t matter,” the woman replied with a wide grin. “You’ll always be the baby of the family. And how are you, Sonia?”

“I’m doing good,” the huntress replied with a grin. “You look like you’ve been having fun.”

“Hmm, that’s one way to put it. I’ve been having issues with this damn experiment for months now, and the fun’s fading away to annoyance.” The researcher turned on Logan, giving the great sword user a sly smile and making him frown nervously. “You seem to be doing well, Logan. You planning on asking me for another date?”

“Peh, no thanks,” the hunter muttered. “Don’t want to have to grow my hair back again, hey?”

The researcher laughed with a wicked cackle that made the hunter shiver involuntarily. “You did look rather silly like that, I’ll admit. Now, if you’ll excuse me a moment, I really should clean up. I think the ash got into some places that don’t usually see the light of day…”

“Too much information, Mina,” Bram groaned. “And as much time as you spend in this lab, I’m surprised _any_ part of you ever sees the light of day.”

“Sunlight’s overrated anyway. But I leave the Compound when my research requires it, and I do make regular trips down to Nastre to help Art with his work. But I was serious about needing to clean up. Give me a moment and I’ll be right back.”

With that the researcher vanished into a back room, where the hunters could hear the sound of running water a few moments later. Sonia saw Logan flush slightly as dirty clothes were tossed nonchalantly out the door and into a nearby basket, ranging from the ash-covered lab coat to pants to even Mina’s underwear, but the huntress decided not to poke fun at him; she’d teased him enough today.

Mina reemerged from the back room several minutes later, appearing much more professional than before. She was tall and slender, though her physique was mostly hidden by the numerous tools and materials she kept strapped to her belt and vest, making her appear much bulkier than she actually was. Her fingers were long and precise as she twiddled with the goggles in her hands, before bringing them back up and strapping them around her head once more. Her face was round and soft, with glittering grey eyes over a small nose and a wide excitable smile. Her hair was kept short, shining a vibrant blonde with the ends tipped black. Sonia hadn’t quite figured out if Mina just dyed her hair like that or if the length and the color were an unintentional result of her frequently explosive experiments; the former would actually surprise her more, to be honest. Those weren’t the only signs of her experiments having gone wrong either, as there were several light scars along her jaw and nose, as well as a small bit of her right ear missing.

Mina Renfield was the fourth oldest child of Harker and Kerrigan Renfield, and the oldest daughter of the bunch. To say she fit in well with her family was an understatement, as her immense love of research and experimentation, as well as her excitable, manic nature, made her a perfect representation of the family. She was immensely fascinated by the sciences, though she seemed to focus on engineering and mechanics above all else and tended to have about a hundred different experiments bouncing around in her head at once. It seemed she’d taken after her father in terms of over-eagerness as well, because there were few labs in the Compound that had suffered quite as many explosions as hers, and the black soot marks that covered the walls had long since stained the otherwise pristine Meridian stone.

Reaching over to the lab table, Mina plucked up the metal ‘fangs’ she’d been wearing earlier and slid them into her pocket. They were an unsightly thing, as she’d proven earlier, but they did have a function. Early in her life, Mina had quite crooked teeth, and her father had done his best to create something called ‘braces’ for her. Though his attempts had succeeded, the resulting dental equipment was a frightening-looking thing that made Mina look like she had jagged, terrible fangs.

Mina had loved them.

These days, her teeth were straight and smooth, showing that Harker’s attempt had proven fruitful, but Mina had kept the braces and still to this day made a game of frightening people with them. She had asked her father to repurpose them though, and wore them not for any dental reasons, but as a mouth guard. Her work in the labs could be volatile, and she claimed that wearing them had saved her the loss of her straightened teeth on numerous occasions when things had gone sour. There were other times she used them of course, but mostly they were for her experiments.

“So, what are you doing back home, Bram?” Mina asked.

“I’m here to ask Mom a question,” he replied vaguely.

“Something important? I’d guess as much, since Sonia and Logan are here with you,” she said, smiling at the two of them. “Do you need them around to help you make an argument?”

“I can defend my own arguments. Besides, maybe they’re just visiting.”

“Doubtful. If this was a social call, Mrs. Geisel would have come, and little Van too. Mr. Geisel too if he wasn’t off with Dad.” Mina leaned forward, tapping her chin thoughtfully as a curious smile crossed her face. “You obviously want to get Mom’s permission for something to do with hunting, considering your entourage, and it’s clearly something big since you came all this way rather than writing a letter. Though calling it ‘permission’ might be wrong. You may be the baby of the family but you’re old enough to make your own decisions in life… you’ve been living in Perir for the last year and a half after all. You clearly aren’t looking to ask a question, so much as you’re trying to get her blessing on a decision that you’ve already made.

“But what is it I wonder? It’s got something to do with hunting, but there’s only so much an apprentice can do without breaking Guild regulations. You’re not an egotistical or bold person, so you’re not about to ask whether you can hunt some monster that’s way past your skill level. Considering what sort of personalities Sonia and the scaredy-Felyne have, it’s probably something exciting… to a hunter. Something new or rare or opportunistic… A new hunting ground perhaps? Maybe some city on the other side of the country is getting popular as a hunting destination? Tanzia’s had the last couple decades as its time in the spotlight after all…”

Sonia was grinning in glee as Mina prattled on. Mina was one of the smartest people she knew, and Sonia always enjoyed hearing her figure things out. Logan looked completely confounded at the woman’s logic, though. He’d looked like he was going to retort when Mina had called him a ‘scaredy-Felyne’, but his jaw had dropped when he realized how close she was getting to the truth.

Bram sighed though, shaking his head. “Sometimes you’re too smart for your own good, you know that, Mina?”

“Pah. Blasphemy. There’s no such thing as being too intelligent. So how close am I?”

“Fine… I’m going to ask permission to go on an… ‘adventure’ to Gahiji.”

Mina’s eyes widened in interest. “Oh ho. That _is_ quite an adventure, isn’t it? I can see why you’d want to come talk to Mom first… You heading that way as soon as possible?”

“That’s our intent,” Bram replied. “Assuming she doesn’t raise any true counterarguments, we’re going to try and be there within the week.”

“That’s certainly a rush. You trying to get back in time for the hunter’s exam?”

“That’s correct,” Bram sighed, and Mina grinned.

“It only makes sense. Maybe I’ll write up a list of materials you can pick up for me while you’re over there. Maybe some elder dragon blood? I hear that country is rife with them.”

“Elder dragons are a little beyond our current capabilities as hunters, Mina.”

“Shame. I’ve been trying to get some Kirin horns for _years_ , but they’re such a challenge to import. Hunters are just so stingy about giving them away.” Mina sighed ruefully to herself, before smiling at Bram. “Well, I suppose you’d better get going then, if you’re here to talk to Mom. She probably won’t say no to your little adventure.”

“I’m sure she won’t, but it better to at least ask.”

“It is the polite thing to do… though mercy knows Senya and Lucy have both gone off on research expeditions to the farthest corners of the country without telling Mom or Dad until they get a letter a month later.” Mina shook her head, before walking over to Bram and ruffling his hair. “Well, if I don’t see you again before you leave, take care of yourself, baby brother. Try not to get yourself killed. I know Dad used to joke about stories of raising the dead with science, but I don’t think we need to give him a reason to try, do we?”

“I appreciate the vote of confidence,” Bram muttered, but he grinned at his sister. “Don’t incinerate yourself in a lab accident while I’m away, either. I’d estimate our mortality rates are about the same, all things considered.”

Mina shrugged. “You may be right. But it keeps me on my toes. Watch out for him, Sonia.”

“I will, don’t worry.”

“You too, Logan,” Mina said sharply, glaring at the older hunter. “You take care of my baby brother, got it?”

“Ja, ja, you don’t gotta threaten me,” Logan grumbled. “Not like I haven’t been watching over him since he became my apprentice, hey?”

“Eh, nonetheless, expect the wrath of the Renfield siblings if anything goes wrong,” Mina replied. “If something happens, I’ll make you one of my test subjects, capisce?”

Logan paled slightly at the words, before turning and stalking towards the door while grumbling under his breath. “Can’t deal with that woman…”

Mina grinned as the great sword user pushed through the door, before turning back to the two apprentices. “You better get after him. Go ahead and find Mom; she should be down at the house right now.”

“Thank you, Mina,” Bram nodded.

“And have fun on your little adventure.”

“We will!” Sonia replied.

The two hunters left the Mina’s lab and found Logan back on the ramp outside, sulking and muttering sourly to himself. Sonia and Bram were kind enough not to tease him as they continued down the ramp towards their final destination.

Soon enough, the trio reached the tall archway, leading into a wide tunnel which stretched out from the center of the structure and deep into the earth. It was at least thirty yards wide and large enough for four Royal Ludroths to stride through side by side with ease, and there were several grooves lining the floor. The tunnel was fairly dark as the hunters passed through it, dimly lit with only sporadic glowstones, but a bright yellow light glowed brilliantly over half a mile away at the far end. Approaching the end of the tunnel, the artificial ceiling above them tapered off into a natural cavern ceiling above. The road tilted upwards, leading to the mouth of the cavern, and stepping through the wide opening, Sonia’s eyes widened in awe. She always loved this place.

Before them was wide, luscious grassland, sprouting up inside a massive underground chamber. The cavern was nearly two miles long and a hundred yards tall, filled with thick green grass and tall trees. Flowers and bushes grew up from the dirt as well, adding color to the greenery. At the center of the chamber was a wide lake with pristine water swelling up from a natural spring, providing the plant life with all the moisture they needed. Across the whole of the cavern, Sonia could see several herds of Kelbi and Popo grazing as well. Some of the younger herbivores darted around playfully, nipping at each other and leaping across the grass.

Above it all was the most magnificent sight of all, a massive crystal cluster embedded in the ceiling which radiated a warm yellow light, filling the chamber with its radiant hue. The glow of the great crystal was more than enough to light the entire room, acting as a sun even this deep below the crust. The stone even managed to radiate heat and energy to give life to the plants which grew down here, keeping the cavern at a constant temperature that made it always feel like a warm spring day.

Children were often brought down here to enjoy playing in the grass and trees, joys which were not so easily enjoyed without taking an airship down to Nastre in the valley. Even now a trio of children, sisters by the looks of them with their matching black hair and dark skin, were darting around playing in the grass. This place had become a location to relax, to help people remember what it was like outside the walls of the Compound. That kind of comfort was often needed, considering that many of the researchers that lived here tended to get so enveloped in their work that they’d stay within the Compound for months and years at a time without leaving.

The road the three hunters had walked in on quickly petered to a halt, breaking down into a worn out gravel road which followed the wall of the cavern and led over towards another tunnel. Chest-height iron fences followed the path, separating the road from the grasses. Several small homes had been built at the edges of the grasslands as well, dug into the wall and built into the earth itself. Bram led the trio around to the fifth house in the line, where warm glowstone light filtered through small, round windows. The young man didn’t hesitate at all, leading Sonia and Logan right up to the door and pushing his way in, allowing the two of them to follow him in before shutting the door behind them.

“Hey Mom! Are you here?” Bram called out, striding towards the kitchen of the house.

“Bram? Is that you?” a gentle voice replied. A moment later, a tall, beautiful woman appeared from the next room. Her face lit up in a welcoming smile at the sight of the three hunters. Bram flushed slightly as his mother pulled him into a tight hug. “Welcome home, dear! Goodness, it’s only been a few weeks since I last saw you! Getting homesick already?”

Despite her age, nearly fifty years old, Kerrigan Renfield hardly seemed to show her age. There was no greying in her long red hair, braided elaborately all the way down to her lower back. Her tall, voluptuous form was still that of a much younger woman as well, and she seemed to have done well keeping herself in shape, despite having long since retired from the life of a hunter to settle into the role as her family’s matron, as well as her (relatively) safe life as a researcher. The only real signs of her age seemed to be her eyes, which had a clear touch of weariness behind them.

“Are you well? Are you keeping safe?” she asked worriedly, pulling away from Bram and glancing him over. “No new scars or wounds?”

“I’m alright, Mom,” Bram sighed, and his mother smiled at him.

“You can’t blame a mother for worrying about her children. _Especially_ her youngest child.”

“I am a triplet, remember? So, technically, I’m not the _youngest-_ ”

“Senya and Lucy both came out before you, dear,” Kerrigan replied quickly, clearly having had this argument before. “You took your precious time being born, so _technically_ , even if it’s only by a few minutes, you are indeed the youngest child in this family. And the one who I worry about the most, thanks to your chosen profession.”

“You were a hunter as well, Mom.”

“Mmhmm. And that’s why I know _exactly_ how dangerous it is,” the woman replied before she shook her head and laughed. “But I can’t count the number of times we’ve had this ‘argument’, dear. It’s nice to see all of you. I was just starting dinner. How are you, Sonia? How is your family? How’s Perir Town doing?”

“Fine on all accounts,” Sonia replied, smiling at the woman. “Mom sends her love by the way.”

“Thank you dear. And you, Logan?”

“Mother was fine, last I saw her,” the great sword user replied with a grin. “Still the same ol’ hellraiser she always been.”

“Still throwing drunks out of her bar?”

“Ho, yes. Broke her old record last month! Thirty-two feet out the front doors! She gonna hit the wall of the smithy ‘cross the road if she do much better, hey?”

“Goodness, that woman… But it’s wonderful to see you all! What brings you here? There aren’t any birthdays anytime soon…”

“What, we can’t just come and visit?” Bram asked with a smile, but the expression faltered as his mother gave him a calculating look. “Wait. Stop. We’ll tell you. I don’t need a repeat of Mina.”

“Aw, I wanted to see it,” Sonia whined.

Letting themselves to be led into the home’s living room and served tea by Kerrigan, Logan once again explained his plan. The researcher’s eyes were wide in interest as she listened to the tale, waiting patiently for the story to end. As the hunting master finished explained his idea, only then did Kerrigan speak up again.

“Gahiji? Goodness, that _is_ quite an adventure,” Kerrigan sighed as Logan finished, leaning back in her chair. “And so far away…”

“You don’t gotta worry, Mrs. Renfield,” Logan said confidently. “I keep an eye on both of them.”

“Both eyes, I hope.”

“Of course. We won’t be fighting nothing above they skill level or nothing like that, hey? Just whatever beasties the folks over there send they own apprentices off to fight. Things like the… the… what they called, Velocidromes? Kut-Ku too, or Gypceros. I is not too sure ‘bout what’s a good foe for them, but I ask around when we get there, see what folks is saying, hey?”

“Hmm… and when would you leave?”

“Tomorrow?” Bram replied, earning a surprised look from his mother. “Uh… we actually have our chests all packed and ready. They’re up on the platform, at the item check.”

“You even brought your hunting box along with you?” Kerrigan asked, raising an eyebrow. “Planning on going, even if I said no?”

“No! No, nothing like that, Mom,” Bram replied quickly. “We just… if you _did_ say yes, we wanted to leave as soon as we could. We’ll want to come back in six months to take the hunter’s exam in Orage, so we want to leave immediately to spend as much time there as we can.”

Kerrigan sighed again, leaning her head back and closing her eyes in thought. Sonia saw Bram fidgeting nervously, waiting for her response. Finally, the woman opened her eyes and smiled at him.

“Very well. You can go if you like, Bram,” she said, and Bram grinned in relief. “Just make sure that you catch up with your siblings before you go, dear. I know how you all get around each other, especially with you being the youngest, but they do love you, and they’ll want to see you before you go.”

The grin vanished in an instant, and Bram groaned. “Oh… _all_ of them? I’ve already seen Mina, and I spoke to Art when the airship made a stop in Nastre. Isn’t that enough?”

“No, it’s not,” Kerrigan replied sternly. “ _All of them_ , Bram. The rest are all here, so you don’t have an excuse not to.”

“Even-” 

“Yes, even Seward and Quincy. I know they can be a handful to deal with, but at least Arthur’s in Hearth and won’t be around to exacerbate things, right? Just don’t go into their lab and you’ll be perfectly fine.

“And you, Logan,” Kerrigan said, turning on the great sword user, “don’t you forget to visit your mother, either. Lynn may be very proud of you and show a lot of confidence in you, but she’ll still want to see her boy before he heads off on some grand adventure in another country.”

“Ja, ja, I know,” Logan assured her. “Was planning on swinging that way before we headed east.”

“Very good,” Kerrigan nodded. “Now, since you’ll be seeing all your siblings before you leave, Bram, why don’t you go gather them up and send them here while I catch up with Sonia and Logan? We’ll have a nice little going-away party for you three!”

“But their labs are scattered all over the place!”

“Mmhmm. Which should give me plenty of time to cook dinner. I’ll even make your favorite for you; I know how much you like Heaven Bread, and I actually just made some yesterday. If you hurry, by the time you get back I’ll have cooked up some Queen Shrimp as well…”

Sonia glanced over at Bram, seeing that though the archer was trying to remain stoic, his eyes had lit up excitedly, and she suppressed a giggle at the sight. With a nonchalant shrug, he smiled at his mother. “Well, I wouldn’t mind having some of your cooking before I leave.”

“Best be quick then,” Kerrigan replied. Bram nodded abruptly, before turning and darting out the front door. Logan didn’t even wait for him to get out the door before laughing to himself.

“You really know how to get you children to jump when you want them to, hey, Mrs. K? Thinking you is the only one alive that can get you boys and girls to behave sometimes.”

“Oh, they’re all easy when you know how to deal with them,” Kerrigan laughed. “You just need to be stern with them, and know when and how to reward them. And though none of them are really too picky, using their favorite food as leverage makes it much easier to get them to do what you want.”

“Sounds like you is conditioning them,” Logan chuckled. Kerrigan paused for a moment, before a sly smile crawled across her face.

“Well, a long time ago, Harker did mention an old Lost experiment about some researcher named Pavlov, and some domesticated creature he did tests on, though I can’t remember the name of the beast. It always seemed like an interesting experiment. Children… and _husbands_ for that matter, are much easier to discipline when you have guaranteed methods of steering in the direction you want them to go, wouldn’t you agree?”

Logan frowned and muttered nervously, but Sonia laughed. “You’re a devious woman, Mrs. Renfield.”

“Nonsense, dear,” the red-headed woman smiled, adjusting her glasses. “I’m a _scientist_. There’s a difference. Now come on, both of you; you can help me in the kitchen while we wait for Bram to collect everyone. You three are going to get a proper send off, I promise. Or at least it’ll be memorable. With all but one of my children in the same room at the same time, I can guarantee you that much.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Thanks for reading this chapter about an underground laboratory! Please Review!
> 
> Some of you may have noticed the vanishing of Logan’s accent in this chapter… for the most part. Those of you that have read my previous story, the DLC one-shots, or even the previous chapter, will remember how thick that particular accent was in Lynn. But in TLC, Lynn was a side character, and Logan’s going to be center stage for a fair bit of this story. I didn’t think it’d be fair or even good storytelling to make my readers have to struggle to understand him for however long this story goes on, so while I’ll keep a few of his vocal tics, for the most part, Logan’s not going to have the phonetics added, at least as long as the character whose perspective I’m narrating is familiar with him or unless the situation requires it.
> 
> Playing: Hyrule Warriors, Pokemon X, Pokemon AS, GTA5, Middle Earth: Shadow of Mordor, Bravely Default, MH4U  
> Listening: The Notwist, Weezer, Yellowcard, Stereolab  
> Reading: Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari by Aneko Yusagi, How Edea Got Her Groove Back by TheStockholmEffect


	4. Border Town

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Disclaimer: Monster Hunter is copyright Capcom. All the characters in this story are mine, unless otherwise noted. 
> 
> Edited by: Hoenn Master96 and Thomas A. Hawk and DinoJake

“Oy, wake up kiddies. Don’t want to miss Gahiji coming over the horizon, do you?”

Bram sniffed and yawned as someone kicked his boot, shaking him awake. Blinking to clear his eyes, he looked up to see the captain of the airship looking down on him, an amused expression on her face.

“Odd place to fall asleep, lad.”

Captain Dupree was a taller woman, nearly Bram’s height and just as broad. She had dark amber skin, with long brown hair tied down at the base of her neck. Her sharp brown eyes were filled with experience, and though she had a no-nonsense attitude towards work and making sure everything was in top condition aboard her airship, Bram found that she still had a sly sense of humor. He and Sonia had enjoyed talking to her yesterday evening.

As Bram’s mind slowly worked out of its sleepy haze, he realized he was on the deck of the airship, leaning against the railing near the helm. The sun was peeking over the horizon, and members of the crew were making their way around the ship, checking the riggings and keeping everything in shape.

“Sorry,” Bram muttered, rolling his neck. Several other early risers among the passengers were up top as well, talking amongst each other. A few people looked his way, grinning to themselves and shaking their heads. “Didn’t mean to fall asleep on deck.”

“It’s fine, lad,” the captain replied. “Wouldn’t be the first time a passenger’s fallen asleep admiring the stars. Even happens to me every now and then. Always nice to have company with you when it happens though, isn’t it?”

Bram blinked in confusion at the words, before looking to his side and realizing he hadn’t slept there alone. Sonia was snoring softly next to him, with her head leaning against his arm. Now he remembered; they had stayed up late into the night talking, their anticipation at arriving in Gahiji overwhelming their weariness. He supposed they must have dozed off where they sat sometime in the night…

“Oh, jeez…” Bram muttered. Captain Dupree chuckled a bit as he reached over and shook his partner a little. “Come on, Sonia, up and at ‘em.”

The young woman groaned as a ray of morning light struck against her face, and she abruptly turned her head and buried her face into Bram’s shoulder.

“No…” she mumbled sourly, her voice muffled by the fabric. “Too early.”

Bram sighed in dismay, looking up hopelessly at the captain, who laughed. Shaking his head a bit in embarrassment, he gently rapped his knuckles against her noggin.

“Hey! Time to greet the day, Sonia! We’re supposed to be making landfall soon.” Sonia continued to grumble incoherently into Bram’s shirt, muttering muffled profanities. Bram groaned and rolled his eyes. “Sorry again. We’ve been traveling a lot the last couple days, and jet lag’s catching up with us I suppose.”

“I’ll take your word for it,” the captain replied. “Still not sure exactly what ‘jet lag’ is, but I can guess well enough. Boss man’s used the line once or twice.”

Bram nodded, leaning his head against the railing and letting his eyes droop a little while Sonia shifted into a more comfortable position. As much time as he’d spent on airships when he was younger, he’d gotten too used to regular sleep schedules during his apprenticeship and just wasn’t used to air travel anymore. It didn’t help that their journey had been incredibly roundabout so Logan could visit his mother. Lynn had set up a bar in Orage Dell, which meant they had to fly west to the ocean before heading back east towards the Gahin border on the far other side of the country.

If there was a living example on why Bram didn’t want to get involved with politics or the Guild bureaucracy, Lynn was it. Her daily life now consisted of breaking up brawls, dealing with plastered hunters, and physically throwing out troublemakers, but she claimed that sort of lifestyle was less stressful than her time as a councilmember had been. If a life like that was more relaxing than politics, then Bram was happy keeping out of it. Though, it could just have been due to the woman’s aggressive personality; Lynn seemed to revel in all the fistfights and throw-downs she got into.

Their visit had been fun, though. Apparently Logan had discussed his ‘adventure in Gahiji’ plan with her beforehand, because the woman seemed to know the whole idea already, congratulating the two apprentices on having the chance to take such a fun journey. She’d treated them to a meal in the bar, which quickly turned into a bout of storytelling with the rest of the hunters there. The talking and laughing had gone on long into the night, before the bar closed and Lynn had chased the crowd out.

Lynn seemed somewhat worried about their trip, as the other mothers had, taking Logan aside after the bar had closed to talk in private. Logan had brushed it off later though, telling them it was just motherly worry. Lynn had apparently traveled into Gahiji a couple times as a younger woman and had given him some advice about what to look out for while he was there.

They left Orage Dell the next afternoon, after missing the first ship out of town; the trio’s night of storytelling with other hunters had left them knackered, and they’d slept in late. The airship carried them halfway across the Great Desert before landing in Loc Lac to stop and refuel, giving them a few hours to explore the country’s former hunting hub.

But Bram had to admit that Loc Lac was just… _boring_ , to be honest. It wasn’t the city’s fault. Bram had always heard stories from his and Sonia’s parents about the exciting adventures they had and good friends they’d met during their time there. However, after the Alatreon had devastated Loc Lac, the desert hub had never been able to recover. It was still the core of Theron’s Guild bureaucracy and a primary stopping point when crossing the Great Desert, but most hunters found their livelihoods in other hubs these days. Coastal towns like Orage Dell or Port Tanzia were popular, and mountain villages like Yukumo. Even the Compound drew more fresh hunters than the desert city did, paying hunters well to gather the materials researchers needed for their work. Loc Lac had been Logan’s hometown, but even he had moved away after only a couple years as a professional hunter. These days it was mostly only occupied by older hunters talking about the golden days of the city, and bureaucrats maintaining the documentation of the Guild.

The only real time hunters flocked to the desert hub was when there were Jhen Mohran problems, and hunters looking to take on an elder dragon appeared to collect the valuable materials from the beast’s spine. There had been rumors about ten years ago of a nocturnal Jhen Mohran with brilliant violet ores glowing along its frill, but such stories had been brushed off as a bogus claim created to try and draw hunters to the city. They still had the skull of the Alatreon on display in the center of town, which was an impressive sight, but other than that there just wasn’t much to see. So Bram, Sonia, and Logan had landed in the desert city, looked around for a couple hours, then boarded their airship to continue the flight east toward more exciting locales.

It had been a couple more days since then, but Gahiji was nearly here. Bram opened his eyes again and leaned over to Sonia. She’d never forgive him if he didn’t wake her up and get her moving before the country came over the horizon. The hunter lifted his hand, flicking her on the nose.

“Come on, Sonia. We’re going to land soon.”

The huntress grumbled again, rubbing her face against his arm. However, soon the mumbling cut away to silence, and Bram could practically see the cogs turning in his partner’s head.

“We’re landing soon?” she asked unevenly.

“Aye, lass,” the captain replied behind her. “We’re to be crossing into Gahiji within a couple hours, I’d say, and landing in the border town Val Habar before you know it. Thought the pair of you might want to be awake for that, the way you’ve been prattling on.”

It took another couple moments for the words to really register in Sonia’s mind. Finally, she looked up, and her eyes opened wide, glittering in excitement.

“We’re almost there!” she squealed, leaping to her feet. Bram chuckled as he pushed himself up as well, stretching to work the kinks out of his back. Already, Sonia was at the railing, leaning over the side and staring intently off into the distance, as though Gahiji would come over the horizon any second.

“Calm yourself, lass,” the captain told her. “I did say it would be a couple hours yet. Our ship may be quick, but there’s still time ‘fore we can see anything but sand.”

“Aw, pecker…”

“Cheer up, Sonia,” Bram said, patting her shoulder. “I’m sure there’s _something_ you can do to amuse yourself for a couple hours.”

Sonia pouted for a moment, before her eyes lit up with a devious gleam. “You know, captain, I can’t help but notice that there hasn’t been a single fist-fight on the deck of this ship the whole trip. My friend Bram here was just _dying_ to take on your toughest crew member, and I’d _hate_ to see him disappointed.”

“ _What_? Now hold on, Sonia,” Bram snapped, glowering at his smug-looking partner. “You are _not_ suckering me into another fight. I have _not_ been-”

“Looks like your boy here ain’t too fond of that idea as you seem to think he is, lass,” Captain Dupree chuckled. She focused back on Sonia, and a predatory gleam lit up in her eyes. “Besides, you want the toughest sailor aboard this ship? That’d be me. Instead of trying to shove your boy here into the ring, why not step up yourself? ‘Less you think I’ll mop the deck with you.”

Sonia blanched a little at the captain’s challenge, but proceeding to puff out her chest confidently. “Alright, I’ll take you on! We can show string bean here what a _real_ fight looks like!”

“Sonia, you couldn’t fight your way out of a wet paper bag,” Bram sighed. The captain laughed as Sonia turned and scowled at him.

“I beat _you_ in the last fight we had.”

“We had our last fight when we were _nine_ , and I hadn’t hit my growth spurt yet,” Bram noted, pointedly straightening his back to look down on her. Sonia continued to scowl, but the archer grinned a little as the huntress tried to subtly lift herself up onto her toes.

“Probably for the best that we call this bout off then,” Captain Dupree cut in, earning an insulted look from Sonia.

“What, not feeling up for a fight?” the huntress taunted, playfully jabbing the woman’s shoulder a couple times. Dupree laughed, but shook her head.

“Oh, you know us airmen, always up for a tussle. However… thinking now’s not exactly a great time for a fight, anyway.”

Dupree glanced nervously to the far side of the ship. Over near the bow were two people gazing towards the east, a man and woman standing next to each other. Both were wearing finery, dark blue undershirts with black vests embroidered with silver wings.

The woman was closest, and appeared to be a good half-foot shorter than Bram. Her hair was surprisingly bright though, a strawberry blonde which stood out in stark contrast against her dark clothing, tied up into a small bun on the back of her head. The man was quite a bit taller than the woman, the same height as Bram, with a square jaw and jet black hair which hung down to his shoulder blades in an unruly mane. Both of them were standing tall and firm however, as though under military stance, with the woman holding her arms crossed in front of her and the man’s locked behind his back. Both had very off-putting expressions on their faces as well: the woman’s amber eyes stared out into the distance with a judgmental, aloof sort of face, and though Bram couldn’t see the man’s eyes, he could tell he was scowling.

“Who’re they?” Sonia asked.

“Fox and Julia Lockhart,” Bram replied, earning a surprised look from Sonia. The airwoman nodded at the words, and Bram shrugged uncomfortably. “They live in Nastre, so… we’ve met.”

“They’re Silas’ kids,” Dupree explained.

Sonia blinked in surprise. “Didn’t know that old guy _had_ kids…”

“Adopted, far as folks can tell. People aren’t really sure where they came from. But they’re a lot like him: Lost supremacists, I mean. They help their father with his company. He… has them do a lot of the work that he couldn’t just do himself, so…”

“They’re his flunkies,” Bram said bluntly, getting another surprised look from both Sonia. “Sorry, but it’s pretty much true. My mom and dad told me about them. One day he came back to Nastre with the both of them, and he’s been raising them as Supremacists ever since. He has them doing a lot of work around the country to make Rising Dawn Airship Company more powerful… Word has it he’s even trained them to act as his bodyguards, and they report everything they see and hear to him.”

Dupree looked uncomfortable about the words, but nodded. “Pretty much. You don’t want to say anything bad about Silas, or get into fights while they’re around. You’d lose your job in a heartbeat. So no fighting on this trip, lass, or any trip where those two are aboard.”

“No, that’s fine,” Sonia replied. “So… why are they going to Gahiji?”

“Who knows? They never tell us, and _I’m_ not going to ask. Whatever they’re doing is their business, and I’m fine with keeping it that way.” As the captain finished speaking, Julia suddenly turned to stare in their direction, her amber eyes boring into them. Dupree cleared her throat nervously. “Eh, sorry, kids, but I better get back to work. Can’t spend too long chatting with passengers with them around.”

“That’s understandable. Thanks for talking with us,” Bram said, and the captain nodded before striding back towards the helm and barking a few orders to crewmen as she passed. Sonia’s eyes were still on the dark-clothed individuals, and Bram shook his head. “Just forget about them for now, Sonia. There are other things we can do to pass the time besides you roping me into another fight.”

“Like what?” Sonia sighed. “I don’t feel like another game of chess or checkers. You keep beating me.”

“Wanna see if we the crew will let us climb the rigging?” Bram suggested, and Sonia’s eyes sparkled in interest. “Maybe they’ll let us head up to the crow’s nest for a better view when Gahiji comes over the horizon.”

Unfortunately, in the end the crew _hadn’t_ let them climb up onto the blimp. Turns out the rest of the sailors were just as fidgety having Silas’ children aboard, and letting a couple passengers climb the rigging wasn’t about to happen. Sonia still managed to find someone to talk to when the hunters met one of the shipwrights aboard and got to asking about how they built the ships. Logan came up on deck not long after, still drowsy but apparently just as eager to see Gahiji come into view as Bram and Sonia were.

Just over an hour and a half later, there was a call from up the crow’s nest. “Landfall!”

Bram was nearly pulled off his feet as Sonia squealed in excitement, grabbing him and Logan by the arms and yanking them towards the bow of the ship. She wasn’t the only one, though; most of the others aboard seemed just as eager to see their final destination come over the horizon.

It took a few moments, but soon there was a vibrant flash of green, standing out in stark contrast to the bland golden-white of the sandy desert. Lush green grass seemed to erupt from over the horizon as they reached the end of the desert. It really was as though as line had been cut in the earth, a sharp contrast between shifting sands and ripe green grass.

For a couple miles past the sand there was nothing but grasslands, wide open space full of rolling hills, sporadic trees, and small creeks which weaved through the terrain. Beyond that, however, the slopes of the terrain grew tall and uneven, creating countless plateaus and high ridges which stretched as far as the eye could see. The vibrant green was broken up by the bright red and dark orange soil, and there were even tall pillars of reddish stone protruding from the earth. It seemed Gahiji really was a different country; where Theron was relatively flat and level save for the mountainous regions, Gahiji was a realm of geological chaos.

As the grasslands grew closer, Bram began to scan the coastline uncertainly. They were supposed to be landing at the border town called Val Habar, but Bram didn’t see any towns at the edge of sandsea.

There was some shouting though, and several crewmen began motioning towards the shoreline. A few moments later the ship turned southward, curving low to follow the coast. Bram glanced down towards the grasslands, and realized that there was something out of place: right near the edge of the sandsea was a wide semicircle of flattened and dried grass at least a mile and a half wide. A few free-standing lumber structures were near the edge, and seemed to be well-maintained, but there was nobody near them. Near the top of one of the structures, a bright red wooden arrow had been constructed, pointing towards the south.

The airship continued flying for another half an hour or so along the coastline. Most of the passengers kept to the port side, eyeing the lush, hilly land beyond with fascination. Soon enough though, there were more calls from crew, and the airship began to descend. Looking forward, Bram finally caught sight of their intended destination: Val Habar.

“Well that’s a relief.” Bram turned as Captain Dupree strode up next to him and Sonia. “It’s lucky we found the city as quickly as we did.”

“What do you mean, ‘lucky’?” Bram asked. “It’s a _town_. How can you be _lucky_ to find a town?”

“Considering the town moves to a different location every other month or so, I’d say we were pretty damn lucky to have found it as quick as we did.”

“It _moves_?” Sonia gasped. “The _entire town_ moves?”

“That’s right, lass,” Dupree chuckled. “Ain’t every desert town so lucky as Loc Lac to have those nice tall walls defending it from Jhen Mohran, or the Dah’ren Mohran they have in these sands. Big walls like that ain’t so easy to build, so Val Habar just moves about instead, relocating to a new place when those big beasties start getting a little too close for comfort.”

“That’s… insane,” Bram muttered.

“Better than being wiped out by a moving mountain some call an elder dragon, lad. They’ve gotten right good at moving though. Whole town’s on wheels, and can up and move in a couple hours if they need to. Even the Guild Hall can haul out.”

“How they do that?” Logan asked, before glancing at Sonia. “Didn’t you papa say something ‘bout the hall being shaped funny?”

Dupree grinned at him. “Well, I could tell ya how they do it, lad… but it’s better if you see it yourself. It’s quite the sight.”

Bram tapped his chin thoughtfully. “Is that what those arrows were for? To point us in the right direction?”

“Just so. Used to be they didn’t do even that. Finding Val Habar was a game of chance for airships and sandships alike. You got to the edge of the sandsea, and picked north or south, and if you picked wrong, you’d go a long way a’fore you’d figure you’d done wrong and had to head back.”

“That’s kind of poor thinking…”

“Ha! Folks in these parts treat it like an adventure! Finding Val Habar’s just half the fun! The rest is blowing all your hard-earned Zenni on the shops you find once you get there.”

Sonia grinned. “I’m liking this country more and more!”

“And I hope you’ll have fun there, all of ya,” Dupree laughed. “If you’ll excuse me, I need to land this tub. Enjoy your stay, hunters.”

With that, Captain Dupree returned to the helm, and the airship slowly began to descend towards the town. Though Sonia wanted to stay up top, Bram and Logan both encouraged her to head below deck with them to collect their hunting boxes. She pouted a bit, but eventually agreed, and the three of them dragged their boxes onto deck just as the airship was settling onto the landing pad outside the city. Several workers rushed out, throwing out ropes and tying the ship down as the engines slowly rumbled to a halt. A gangplank was raised, and the passengers began to work their way off the ship.

Logan was double checking that his great sword was properly strapped to his box as the deck began to empty, and soon enough Sonia began to fidget eagerly. “Come on, come on, come on! Hurry up, you slowpokes! We’re finally here!”

“Calm down, Sonia,” Bram called back. “Gahiji is still gonna be there when we get off the ship.”

“It won’t be at the rate you two are crawling along!” Sonia shouted back. “Forget this, I’ll meet you weenies on land.”

Bram chuckled as Sonia disappeared down the gangplank, her item box clattering behind her. But as Bram grabbed hold of his own item box, there was a loud crash below and Bram glanced over the railing with a curse. Sonia had lost control of her item chest and had ended up slamming into Fox, knocking both of them to the ground. Julia was scowling at the huntress nearby. Bram pushed fearfully through the remainder of the passengers, muttering apologies to those he bumped. He knew what type of man Silas was, and if his children were anything like him…

But he was surprised upon reaching the bottom of the gangplank to find Fox helping Sonia back to her feet, waving off her apologies. As Bram approached, Fox looked his way, and the archer flinched slightly at the sight; the black-garbed man had different-colored eyes. The left eye was a very dark brown, nearly black, but the right was a pale white. There was a moment of recognition in the man’s eyes, and he nodded his head slightly.

“Our apologies for the disruption,” he said simply in a low baritone. He didn’t say anything more, grabbing his bags and striding away towards where Julia waited. As he caught up with her, the woman turned, matching his stride as the pair made their way into the town, not sparing a glance back.

“You okay?” Bram asked Sonia. Behind him, Logan had caught up with them, his item chest clattering along and giving the pair of them a worried look.

“Yeah, I’m fine,” Sonia replied, grinning sheepishly. “Guess I was a little too eager to get off the ship after all.”

“Just a bit,” Bram sighed, though he noted that Sonia had a concerned expression on her face. “What’s wrong?”

“His eyes were different colors…” she muttered in confusion, shooting another look at the backs of the two black-garbed people.

“Yeah, it’s something strange about him,” Bram nodded. “Don’t worry about it.”

“They’s some strange folks, hey?” Logan muttered, before waving his hand. “Hoy, but let’s forget about that for now, hey? You forget where we are? We in Gahiji! Don’t tell me you already forget about our adventure?”

“Right… right!” Sonia agreed, nodded and smiling. “Let’s go find the Guild hall and get this show on the road.”

With that the hunters slowly headed south towards the tall structure near the center of town, right at the edge of the sandsea. Bram had to admit, he was stunned by Val Habar. For all his life, he’d had a pretty solid idea of what to expect when he entered a town or village, and this border town seemed to go against so much of that.

Dupree had been right: the entire town was almost literally on wheels. None of the structures in Val Habar were permanent, and it felt more like walking through a fairground or bazaar than an actual city, with only worn-down grass instead of roads under their feet. Every structure in the town was a wagon or tent, with men and women living out of them as happily as they would a solid house or hut. There were a few semi-permanent structures near the edge of the sandsea, sturdy platforms which had been built to dock the sandships and airships, but clearly all of Val Habar was capable of packing up and leaving town at the drop of a hat. And in fact, many were doing just that. Between the docks and the Guild hall, several Popo-drawn caravans clattered past them, either making their way out of town or traversing the roads in search of a spot to set up shop for themselves.

The caravans themselves were all interesting in their own unique ways, with bright banners and signs dictating what they sold or had to offer to passerby. The wagons came in countless shapes and sizes too, from only a few feet wide to a few that were as large as a sandship, needing several Popo to haul it. Each caravan had their own names and specialties as well: some sold armor and weapons, others sold jewelry and gemstones, others alchemy and herbalism, and a large number sold sundries and day-to-day goods. There were even those that seemed to sell ‘entertainment’, the wagons unfolding into stages to present shows for passersby to watch. Many of the larger caravans had even constructed wooden walkways for their customers to walk along, rather than the grass and dirt that lay everywhere else.

Some establishments even tried their best to create something of a ‘brand name’. Some appeared more popular with the locals, filled to the brim with shoppers: Rosen Queen, Rin’s Goods, and Malo Mart were some of the busier ones, just to name a few. Bram wondered if he’d seen the caravan he, Sonia, and Logan were supposed to be joining.

Bram gave an impressed whistle as they approached the Guild hall. Sonia had read him her father’s letter describing the place, but Bram had to admit that the hall really did look like a beached sandship. He’d thought the shape was just a design aesthetic, but with Dupree’s explanation, Bram supposed that the Guild hall must actually be a true sandship, and when the city up and moved, it was simply shoved back into the sandsea to sail to the town’s next destination.

The way it had been described made it sound rather ridiculous, but looking upon it now, Bram had to admit it was rather impressive. To call it just a sandship wasn’t fair: the Guild hall had to be a veritable battleship on the sandsea. It was over one hundred yards long, at least three times bigger than any ship Bram had ever seen. The hull was made of sturdy wood with solid metal plating, and a tall bronze dragon’s head had been molded at the bow, massive in its own right. Bram could see the covered holes in the hull where cannons and ballistae could be fired from, and another in the bow which no doubt held a dragonator. Finally, at the very top of the building was a massive hunter’s gong, so large that a single strike of the metal plate could probably be heard miles from Val Habar. The whole ship had been given a vibrant paintjob, colored a forest green with bright yellows and oranges along the dragon head, but despite this structure’s welcoming design, Bram could tell this ship was a force to be reckoned with on the sandsea.

There was a massive rectangular hatch which opened up on the side of the ship, providing a long ramp leading into the Guild Hall. The three hunters looked around in fascination as they marched up the slope; all around them were hundreds of hunters, wearing countless different armor sets and weapons made from materials that he’d never seen before. Bram couldn’t help but wonder how many of those armor sets or weapons he’d be able to make with only six months here.

As they entered the Guild hall itself, it was much more spacious inside than Bram had imagined. The entry area was even included a grill, an item shop, and a long booth with several dozen Guild workers signing hunters onto quests. And there were a lot of hunters around too, talking and laughing as they scoured the boards for hunts to take part in. It was just like any hunter’s inn in Theron, but this one could slide into the sandsea and sail away if it needed to.

“So… what do we do now?” Sonia asked, looking around.

“Guess we gotta find the immigration folks… get the last of our papers filled out, hey?” Logan muttered, looking around uncertainly. “Steward said he got a lot of the stuff cleaned up already, but I is not sure what to do now exactly…”

“Oh, ho. So y’all are the hunters ol’ Steward went and called in, are ya?”

The three hunters turned at the voice, but Bram frowned in confusion. He didn’t see anybody behind them…

“Down here, pardner. We ain’t all so vertically gifted as you are.”

Looking down, the trio were collectively surprised to find an elder Wyverian standing before them. He had leathery skin, worn from perhaps more than a century of age considering how long-lived Wyverians could be. His ears were drooping low, and he’d grown a thick white beard covering his chin and cheeks.

He was dressed… oddly. The first thing that came to Bram’s mind upon looking at him was ‘cowboy’. The Wyverian looked like he’d come straight out of one of the ‘western’ stage shows they put on in Perir. Or it looked like he’d tried, at least. He wore a tall ten-gallon hat, a bright red bandana, a pair of brown leather boots complete with spurs, and carried a long corn-cob pipe between his teeth. Everything in the middle was a bit off though. He wore loose white robes over everything, held in place with a brown sash around his waist, topped off with an ornately-decorated blue cloak.

“Welcome, y’all!” the Wyverian said with a wide smile. “The name’s Treno, Guildmaster of this fine town, and it’s a pleasure to meetcha.”

As hard as the Wyverian seemed to be trying to emulate a western drawl, he still had the Gahin accent in his voice. Bram had caught some of the local tongue as he’d made his way through Val Habar, and it was a far smoother, more musical-sounding accent. The locals tended to slur their S’s a bit, and seemed to catch on hard consonants.

“Ho, there. Is nice to be here, hey?” Logan replied, reaching down to shake the man’s hand. The Wyverian’s eyebrows rose curiously for a moment, but he grinned quickly and shook the great sword user’s hand before moving on the apprentices.

“And these young’ns are the apprentices, eh?” he asked, looking the two over.

“That’s right,” Bram nodded.

“Mmhmm… yep, Steward said y’all were coming for pre-exam training. He always was a kind feller to the younger folk.”

“You friends with Steward, then?” Logan asked. “Always thought he must’ve had friends in high places, but I didn’t think that included a Guildmaster.”

“Yup, the ol’ dog certainly has his connections, don’t he?” Treno chuckled. “I owe him a few favors, though I reckoned I’d find myself in the grave ‘fore he tried callin’ them in. ‘Magine my surprise when the ol’ dog actually turns ‘em in. Pretty ironic if you ask me, though: first he’s askin’ me to get some hunters _out_ of the country without trouble, next he’s asking me get some _in_ easy as you please.”

“Err… yeah…” Logan muttered, scratching his head. “Sorry ‘bout that…”

“Aw, don’t worry, pardner. Weren’t your fault you passed the border like you did, and you pulled ol’ Steward’s hide out of the fire… well, ice, I reckon, when you saved him from that thing… Whatcha call that nasty thing?”

“Gigginox.”

“Ugh. Fittin’ name, considerin’ the way Steward described it,” Treno sighed, shaking his head. “Well, y’all came back at a good time anyway. Ol’ Steward’s been stuck in town for near a month now, and I can see that he’s itchin’ to travel again. Ain’t no point of a caravan if it ain’t movin’.”

“He just been sitting around?” Logan asked guiltily. “He wasn’t waiting for us, was he? Didn’t mean to keep him waiting…”

“Don’t worry, pardner. Fellers like him ain’t the like to just stick around and wait. Ol’ Steward coulda visited a half-dozen villages in a month and been back in town a’fore y’all stepped foot on Gahin soil. Reason he ain’t movin’ is ‘cause his caravan’s hunter had to retire, and there ain’t no caravan out there can survive on the road without a hunter guarding it.”

“Didn’t hear ‘bout that.”

“Eh, happened not long ago. Good woman, fine hunter, but got crippled during a hunt, poor lass. Happens to the best of us, I reckon.”

“Hmm… Sounds like we gonna be trying to fill some big boots, hey?”

“Aw, don’t worry yourself, pardner. Ain’t nobody expectin’ you and your apprentices to try and fill the space that old girl left behind,” Treno assured him. “You and your little buckaroos here just try and have fun while you’re here. Ain’t no need for worries like that for a couple apprentices. Now, I reckon that we’ve kept that ol’ dog waitin’ long enough. Let’s getcher papers cleared, and y’all can-”

“Sir?” Treno paused, glancing over as a Guild worker approached with a large folder, handing it to the aged Wyverian. “We’ve got more reports of possible subspecies coming in.”

“Again?” the Wyverian grumbled, glancing into the files. “Hold on now, ‘reports’ you said? As in more than one?”

“So it would seem sir,” the woman replied. “A Kecha Wacha in the eastern forests and a Tetsucabra by the western volcano. Both are displaying strange appearances and behaviors for their species, and all descriptions seem to label them as such.”

“Damn, that’s four this month… The hell are they coming from, out of the woodwork?”

“Shall we send more researchers to look into it?”

“Reckon we’d better…” The Guild worker nodded as Treno signed the papers, and scurried away as the Wyverian sighed in frustration. “Y’all came at a very hectic time for the Guild, I can tell ya that…”

“Sounds like you’ve got a lot of problems to deal with,” Bram noted.

“Oh, pardner, there’s always problems,” Treno harrumphed. “I’ve got problems left and right. I’ve got these daggum factions bickering between each other, I’ve gotta send a buncha materials to Dondruma to repair damage from a Kushala Daora that attacked… Hell, I’ve got issues with elder dragons in _general_ making a fuss over by Dondruma. I can’t remember the last time that city went longer than a _year_ without getting attacked by one!”

“Wow… you really _do_ have problems,” Sonia muttered.

“Ain’t nothin’ Gahiji ain’t dealt with before,” Treno replied. “It’s a mite worse than usual these last few years, but we’ll get by. We always have before. But that ain’t the kinda thing y’all need to worry ‘bout. Doubt a couple rookies’ll find themselves wranglin’ with an elder dragon anytime soon. But that’s enough serious talk; let’s get y’all going so you apprentices can have your trip through Gahiji.”

With a short bark, Treno called over one of the Felynes working behind the desks, sending it off to gather the hunters’ paperwork. The Felyne returned a minute later with a small stack of papers, passing them out to the hunters and letting them fill in the blanks. Bram noted that a lot of it was already filled out in someone else’s handwriting, likely the work of Logan’s friend Steward. The hunters filled out the rest of the papers as quickly as they could before sending off the Felyne with the completed documents.

“Just need to make sure everything’s spick ‘n’ span,” Treno told them. “One of them’ll check that everything’s well and good. Ah, speak of the devil… or, speak of the Felyne, rather.”

From the sea of desks and paperwork, the Felyne scurried out from the mayhem again and quickly made its way towards them, carrying the collection of paperwork in its arms. Bram could see a bright red stamp of approval on the top paper.

“That was lickety-split. Everything lookin’ dandy?” Treno asked, and the Felyne nodded.

“Yes, of course, nya. All their pawsports and papers are in purrfect order and they’re good to go.”

“Well, ain’t that fine news,” Treno said with a smile. “Looks like everything’s in order, pardners. Reckon you're free to hit the trail. Y’all just promise me you’ll keep that caravan safe. Steward’s a good friend, y’hear? Don’t want to hear that y’all met with disaster.”

“Don’t worry,” Logan replied confidently. “We keep the caravan safe, hey?”

“I certainly hope so. Good luck to y’all either way.”

“Thank you for your help,” Bram said, before the three of them began making their way towards the exit of the Guild hall.

“Good luck!” the Felyne next to Treno called out. “Stay safe, little apprentices!”

“Thanks! We will!” Sonia called back as the three hunters stepped back out into the sunlight.

Once the trio were down the ramp and back among the caravans, Bram turned towards Logan. “So, now we just need to find this caravan, right? Where is it?”

“I is… not too sure where exactly we supposed to go, hey? They’s a lot more caravans here than I thought there’d be. Guess we just gotta keep looking until we find the one we looking for, hey? Give us time to see the sights.”

“Didn’t that Steward guy tell you where to find him?” Bram asked.

“You looking at the same bazaar I am?” Logan asked. “Seems like you be in one spot one day and on the other side of the town the next, hey? He did tell me the name of his caravan though.”

“Alright, what is it?” Logan chuckled sheepishly at the question though, and Bram groaned. “You don’t remember?”

“Hoy, is a weird name. I remember when I see it.”

With that, the trio began walking around the bazaar in search of their caravan. Every once in a while Logan would stare at one of the caravan signs, before shaking his head and pressing on. After about an hour of wandering and poking through the stalls, Logan finally spotted one and his eyes lit up.

“Aha! That’s the one!”

The apprentices followed his gaze to a wide circle of wagons. A tall wooden sign hung as an entry into the circle, painted a curious aquamarine hue and decorated with thirteen silvery circles inscribed with strange symbols. In the center, written in a light purple, were the words ‘Caravan Stellazzio’.

“Stellazzio?” Sonia asked. “You were right. Weird name…”

“Told you so, hey?” Logan chuckled as they made their way towards the entry. “All we gotta do now is find Steward and we be good, I think.”

The caravan had a fair number of customers within as the hunters passed through the entryway. From what Bram could see, Caravan Stellazzio had a wide variety of displays. Just to the side as they entered was a wide food stand, where a heavyset woman wearing a bright pink apron shuffled about, passing food over the counter to a pair of twins who darted between a dozen wooden tables passing out meals. Beyond that, a man with dark red hair was selling items and materials, while another vendor nearby had a collection of mass-produced metal weapons and armor for sale. There were several other small wagons selling things such as clothing and foodstuffs and knick-knacks and toys. Off in the back there was even a large steel wagon which looked like a forge.

Sonia and Logan were still looking around in wonder when Bram’s gaze landed on a small wagon off to the side. It was small and painted a dark aquamarine but otherwise undecorated. The side of the wagon unfolded into a small desk, revealing a tall collection of books and notepads behind it. A tackboard had been latched to the side of the wagon as well, covered with dozens of papers which Bram immediately recognized as hunt requests. Sitting behind the desk was a young woman scribbling into a large notebook and flipping through some official-looking documents, a Guild receptionist Bram realized. Getting Sonia and Logan’s attention, the three of them began walking over to the wagon.

As they got close, Bram could see that the girl was a few inches shorter than he was, with well-tanned skin and a curvy body. She wore the standard Guild uniform that Bram had seen on numerous Guild reps as they’d passed through the town. A long-sleeved white shirt with a frilled collar lay under a form-fitting tan vest with shining metal buttons, and around her neck was a crimson ascot embroidered with the symbol of the Guild. A loose cloak hung over it all, accompanied by a high-brimmed sailor’s cap, though while green seemed to be the most common Guildie color in Val Habar, this woman’s was dyed a deep shade of royal blue. It was well-hidden behind her, but Bram could also see a small knife latched onto her belt.

Her face was gentle and smooth, with a small nose and soft hazel eyes behind a pair of oval glasses. Her hair was dirty blonde, and looked as though it would have hung down to her middle back if she had not pinned it into a bun at the base of her skull. It was then that Bram realized that the woman was actually Wyverian; her ears stuck out from her blonde hair, stretching straight outwards and ending in a point about three inches out from her skull. Sure enough, as Bram looked down he saw that her legs hooked back and ended in taloned feet, with leather boots that covered everything except the clawed tips of her toes.

“Oh, hello!” the woman said, smiling brightly at the three of them as they approached. Her voice had the telltale lilt that pegged her as Gahin, catching slightly on hard consonants and slightly slurring the S’s. “May I be of any assistance?”

Bram opened his mouth to respond for them, but before he could, Logan grabbed the archer’s shoulder and pulled him back, dropping his item box and stepping to the front. The girl blinked in surprise at the motion as the great sword user gave her a wide, wolfish grin.

“I think so, yes, little missy. Couldn’t help but notice that you was all by youself, and thought you might want a little company…”

“No, stop,” Bram sighed, grabbing Logan’s collar and pulling him back. The Guild rep looked confused, giving Logan an odd look as the great sword user cursed sourly, turning to glare at Bram, but the archer ignored him and smiled at the woman. “Sorry about that. We’re looking for someone named Steward? We just arrived from Theron, and we-”

“Aha! So you are the hunters that master Steward told me about? It is a pleasure to meet you all!” The Guild rep stood up and curtseyed slightly, beaming at them with a welcoming smile. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Selene tar’Thyone, humble member and Guild representative of Caravan Stellazzio. I look forward to working with you all over the next several months.”

The three hunters quickly introduced themselves, Logan looking a little sheepish as he did so, before Selene insisted that she help them find Steward. Leaving their hunting boxes near the Guild wagon, the four of them branched off, heading towards the center of the caravan. As they walked, Bram gave Selene an inquisitive smile. “I didn’t know that individual caravans had their own Guild representatives in this country.”  

“Oh, yes!” Selene replied enthusiastically. “Caravans are much more common and valuable here in Gahiji, where travel across the country is difficult. Many villages and towns are often hidden away between mountains, or deep within the forests, and merchant caravans provide goods and services to those that cannot provide for themselves. Materials, goods, food… some caravans, including our own, even include a smith who can craft with uncommon materials for those that request it. In short, many caravans are essentially traveling shopping districts for secluded villages. It is not uncommon for hunters to sign on for long stints of work as escorts and guardians to caravans as you three have; some hunters even prefer the traveler’s life, and have wagons of their own built to live their professions out of.

“As such, it is quite common for Guild reps like myself to be tied to a caravan, rather than a single town or village. It builds a stronger bond between the hunters and representative, rather than forcing the hunter to try and work with individual Guild reps in each town. It’s my responsibility to communicate with the local Guild authority in each area and ascertain what hunt requests are available. It’s also my responsibility to keep track of monster movements and ecological reports so that the caravan doesn’t travel into a dangerous situation.”

“Sounds like a tough job,” Bram noted.

“Not as much as you’d think,” Selene replied with a smile. “Most towns are used to this kind of thing, and have prepared to offer hunts to the caravan hunters and send reports to the representatives. I just try to organize everything.”

“That’s still pretty impressive, compared to what most Guild reps in Theron do.”

“Well, you have to be at the top of your game to be a caravan Guildie!” Selene replied, puffing out her chest proudly, before laughing a little. “But I do enjoy the work, and it’s the least I can do for Master Steward… Ah, speaking of which, you were looking for him, weren’t you? Hold on, let me see… Ah, there he is! Master Steward! Your guests are here!”

From one of the chairs near the cantina, a man looked up at the call and pushed himself to his feet before striding their way. He was just as tall as Bram, wearing rugged traveling clothes under a long, black leather duster coat. He had a square jaw with a scraggly beard and short grey hair which looked as though it had lost its original color long ago. Despite his age, he appeared to be a strong man, his body toned by a lifetime of hard work and his skin tanned by the sun. There was also a short sword hanging from his belt, and a shield hitched over his back. They weren’t made of regular metal either, but some type of metallic-looking monster materials. Bram didn’t think the man really carried himself like a hunter though…

Upon recognizing Logan, he gave the three hunters a broad, welcoming smile. Logan returned with a grin of his own as he reached forward to shake the man’s hand, but the older man grabbed pulled the hunter into a tight hug, laughing despite Logan’s surprised face.

“Aha! Logan, my friend, it has been far too long!” Steward said excitedly. Like Selene, the man’s accent was thick, though his voice was a deep baritone. “I have not seen you since… well, not since we first met, I think! How are you, my friend?”

“Urk… I is doing fine, hey? Don’t remember you being this… affectionate when we met, though.”

The man laughed again, pulling away from Logan. “Ah, you must forgive me. I suppose I am known for being quite friendly among my contemporaries. I suppose I would act the same to _any_ I consider a friend.

“But, ah, I see you are not alone!” Steward noted, turning to glance curiously at Sonia and Bram. “I had long wondered if you would ever ask for me to return that favor, and almost believed you had forgotten about it, but it would seem you were merely biding your time.”

“Heh, well… actually I kind of forgot about the favor, hey?” Logan replied sheepishly. “But they both was looking for the chance to have an adventure, and I thought Gahiji might be the place for it. Wasn’t sure you be willing to put up with us, hey, but I’m glad you did. But let me introduce them-”

“We can do that for ourselves, thank you very much,” Sonia cut in quickly, and Steward grinned at her. “I’m Sonia Geisel, and this tall guy here my friend Bram.”

“Bram Renfield,” the archer added. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Master Steward.”

“The pleasure is all mine, I assure you,” the man replied, nodding his head respectfully. “You certainly seem like a lively pair, but that is to be expected of eager young hunters-to-be. And to you both, young apprentices, allow me to properly introduce myself. I am Steward ka’Jacob, master of Caravan Stellazzio. I hope your journey here was a pleasant one.”

“It went smoothly enough,” Bram replied. “However, admittedly it felt a bit longer with all the anticipation of getting here.”

“I’m certain it did, young Bram. And have you three already visited the Guild hall? I had informed Treno that you would be arriving…”

“Ja, we done that already,” Logan nodded. “Got all the papers and stuff filled out, so we good to go.”

“Excellent! It seems that you are well on top of things then.” The man glanced down at Selene. “Thank you for bringing them to me, my dear, but I’ll finish showing them around. Now that they’re here, I believe things are going to be picking up once more.”

The Guild rep nodded quickly. “Yes, master Steward, of course. Should I notify the others?”

“That would be best, I think,” Steward replied. “Best to put up the signs now, so as not to disappoint too many customers.”

Selene nodded again, politely excusing herself before walking quickly over towards the nearest of the stalls, and speaking with the salesperson outside. Bram watched her curiously for a moment before his attention was called back to Steward.

“Now then, I suppose that I must show you around! Or at least, point out those things which will most concern young men and women of your profession. Over there is the wagon of our caravan’s smith, Cleyra tar’Oeilvert,” Steward noted, pointing to the large steel wagon at the rear of the group. The metal walls were absolutely riddled with smithing tools, and a wide, circular brick forge sat within the core of the wagon, with a tall chimney poking out of the top. The fire inside seemed to be running on cinders at the moment, and the black smoke pouring from the top was a thin trail compared to other caravans around them.

“I’m afraid Cleyra herself is not here at the moment to be properly introduced. She is off gathering supplies for our journey overland, and she often takes her time with such things, as she is quite the picky individual. She will be the one to speak to, should any of you desire a weapon or armor to be made with what you gather during your time with us. She mostly makes pots and pans, shovels, picks, axles, and whatever else the caravan requires, but make no mistake, she is skilled enough to work with a many of the carves and materials you will gather during your time here.

“Now then, over there you’ll find our trader, Daguerreo ka’Dali, who will be the one from whom you purchase potions and the like…”

“Um… I’m sorry, Mr. Steward, but… can I ask a question?” Sonia asked.

“Of course,” the caravan master replied. “But please, you hunters can simply call me Steward. You are my guests while you are in Gahiji, and you need not refer to me so politely.”

“Oh, okay,” Sonia giggled. “I was just wondering, what’s with people’s last names in Gahiji? I, uh, I don’t want to be rude, but…”

“Ah, of course,” Steward nodded. “I suppose naming conventions are rather different here in Gahiji than they are in your home country. Please allow me to explain as best I can. Here in Gahiji, rather than passing on a surname, a child will rather take on the names of their parent. It is a symbol of our pride in those that made us the men and women we become. If you would allow me to use myself as an example, my name is Steward, and my father’s name was Jacob. As such, I refer to myself as Steward ka’Jacob, or Steward, son of Jacob.”

“Oh, neat!” Sonia replied, her eyes lighting up in interest.

“So… I would be Bram… ka’Harker?” Bram asked.

“Precisely,” Steward replied with a smile. “Normal custom dictates that a man will take on the name of his father, and a woman will take on the name of their mother.”

“Them I’d be Sonia ka’Eleanor, right?”

Steward quickly shook his head at the question. “Ah, not exactly, young apprentice. The word ‘ka’ in Gahin translates to ‘son of’. For you, young Sonia, you would use ‘tar’ instead, as it translates to ‘daughter of’. You met our lovely Guild worker earlier, yes? No doubt she introduced herself as Selene tar’Thyone, ‘daughter of Thyone’.”

“Then… Sonia tar’Eleanor?”

“Yes, exactly!”

Logan, however, was shifting uncomfortably where he stood. “Hoy, Steward… When people take they parents’ names… do they gotta… Do a man gotta take they father’s name?”

The caravan leader hardly hesitated before replying. “Ah, a good question, my friend. While it is certainly most common for men to take the names of their fathers, and women that of their mothers, what matters the most to the Gahin people is the honor and weight of the name they take. It is up to the child to determine the value of their own parents’ names, and if a man should hold his mother’s name in high regard, then they are perfectly welcome to carry that name as their badge of honor.”

Logan nodded, grinning in relief. “Right then… Logan ka’Lynn, hey?”

“A fine name, my friend,” Steward nodded encouragingly. “Of course, there are many other rules that accompany what I’ve mentioned so far. For example, while most people in the country are content giving their own name and that of their honorable parent, there are those that feel that more is required to… _adequately_ display their importance. As we take the names of our parents who we show pride in, so did they show pride in their own father or mother. For those with great pride in their lineage, they may follow the line of their parentage back many generations. As my own name is Steward ka’Jacob, my father called himself Jacob ka’Nero; if I found my grandfather in great esteem, I might refer to myself as Steward ka’Jacob ka’Nero, or ‘Steward, son of Jacob, son of Nero’. However, its use only reserved for those who are proud of their family line or for the most formal occasions. For example, were such a humble caravan master such as myself to find myself amidst the company of the upper echelons, I would introduce myself as _Steward ka’Jacob ka’Nero ka’Barton ka’Deryn tar’Sarah_ , all the way back to great-great-great-grandmother Sarah, who was a noteworthy hunter.

“As I said, it is mostly a novelty, used only by those who find great value in the names of their ancestors. To those with whom lineage is of great value, their name is merely another to be added to the front of a great long list. I have met some men and women whom, if prompted, could proclaim their full name and not finish speaking until the sun had fallen and risen again.”

Sonia scratched her head thoughtfully. “So… I’d be Sonia tar’Eleanor tar’Mary?”

Steward nodded. “And so on and so forth, as far through the branches of your family tree as you are willing to climb. But please, worry yourselves not with thoughts of altering your names to fit in! As we Gahin find strength in the names of our fathers and mothers, so do the Therians find theirs in their surnames. Take pride in your names as they are! They have power within them, and histories of their own. Sturmtrum is a fine and powerful name, Logan.”

Then the man turned and gave the two apprentices a knowing look. “And if my knowledge of news and events does not fail me - which I certainly hope it does not considering my occupation - then the names of ‘Geisel’ and ‘Renfield’ have their own weight to them as well, do they not?”

Bram and Sonia both glanced at each other uncomfortably, but Logan stepped between the two of them, giving Steward a small smile. “I think that surnames don’t need to be considered too hard, hey?”

“Of course not,” Steward replied, nodding in understanding. “The weight of surnames may be great, but I suppose every man and woman wishes to give their own names a weight they feel they are worthy of, do they not?”

“That’s right,” Logan grinned. “Glad you understand.”

Bram cleared his throat for a moment, then tried to change the subject. “Out of curiosity, where will we be staying? Are we going to need a tent, or…”

“Nonsense. We have a couple spare wagons which you can claim as your own,” Steward replied with a nod. “We have one old residential wagon in living condition, though it hasn’t got much in the way of homeliness at the moment. The two gentlemen hunters can bunk within it, though it will be cozy with two of you. As for our young huntress… I am sure she would prefer a wagon of her own, if only to maintain decorum. We have made space within an old storage wagon we’ve kept clattering around for you to use, though it may be somewhat cramped…”

“Oh, that’s fine,” Sonia replied.

“Excellent. If you were not staying on for only a short time, I would suggest finding a carpenter in town to construct you a wagon of your own. Such is usually the way of hunters that seek to travel with caravans, to ease the burden in this rugged terrain and to make something more suitable towards their personal tastes. Perhaps if you wish to stay longer, it would be something to consider.

“But such plans can wait for now… Both traveling and paperwork are tiring trials, and I have little doubt you would like time to settle in, yes? Especially since, now that you three are here, we can begin moving again! We leave on the morrow for the southeast, to a small village called Lintukoto Gully. I am friends with the chief there, and his village is always generous in their purchases. Though the terrain is rugged, the monsters we are likely to meet are no great hassle and should be excellent training for your young apprentices, my friend.”

“Ha! Looking forward to it!” Logan laughed.

As the three hunters followed Steward over to the wagons he was offering them, Bram turned and grinned at Sonia. “So, is it everything you hoped it would be so far?”

“Even better,” Sonia nodded with a wide smile. “It’s so colorful and fun… and just hearing about the monsters we’re going to get a chance to fight has got me itching for a chance to hunt them myself. I’m going to need to send Mom and Van a letter before we head out, and tell them about everything we’ve seen.” The huntress turned, glancing up at him. “What about you? Having fun yet?”

“Clearly not as much as you, but I’m enjoying myself. There are a few things that have caught my interest…”

“Bleh, there you go again with your clinical talk. ‘A few things that have caught my interest’,” Sonia intoned, replicating Bram’s voice. “Come on, show a little excitement, Bram.”  

Bram laughed at the impression, though, reaching up to ruffle Sonia’s hair and getting his hand swatted away. “You’re getting better at those impressions. But you seem to show more than enough enthusiasm for the both of us, so why don’t I just…”

Sonia continued to stare intently at him, however, and finally he shook his head and chuckled. “Fine! We’re actually traveling through a place that’s relatively unknown to almost everyone we know! It’s something new and interesting… and I’m eager to see what’s in store for us. Happy?”

“Eh, you’re getting there,” Sonia shrugged. “But you could still afford some pep in your step, string bean.”

“You can give me enthusiasm lessons after supper, then. But that can wait until after we’ve settled in. Speaking of which… last one unpacked has to buy the other dinner!”

“Wha- Hey!” Sonia shouted. “Cheater! This is _not_ the kind of enthusiasm I was talking about! And I have like a hundred more things to unpack than you!”

“Guess I’m getting a free meal then.”

“Not if I can help it!” Sonia snapped, darting forward and rushing past Logan and Steward towards her hunting chest. Bram laughed to himself before tailing after her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s Note: Please Review! Thanks for reading this chapter about travelling abroad and meeting new people!  
> We’re going to actually have the main characters hunt something soon! I swear!
> 
> I swear this whole story is going to be me playing a game of ‘spot the reference’ with my readers. I just recently found someone that caught my Freeman’s Mind reference during the Malefica arc back in TLC! Anyway, I’ve decided to use a particular naming convention for the Wyvernians in this story, just like I did with TLC. For those that don’t know (and I can’t remember if I ever revealed this or not), the Wyvernians in TLC were all named after… video game businesses! Stergo is Abstergo from Assassin’s Creed, Silph is from the Pokemon series, Shinra is from Final Fantasy VII, Umbre was Umbrella Corp. from Resident Evil… etc. Who’ll be the first to figure out where the Wyvernians here in Gahiji got their names? Don’t use Google now! That’s cheating.
> 
> Selene will probably undergo some… interesting character development as time goes on. The more I play 4U, the more I really like the Guildmarm in the game and her odd quirks. Of course, Selene has her own personality (and a name, which apparently is unheard of in the MH universe), but some of the Guildmarm’s more interesting aspects might show up here and there (not the monsterphilia though, ‘cause that’s a little much). How does Capcom keep making games where the Guildie’s are much more interesting than you’d initially think? Also, I won’t lie, the Guildmarm’s character design in 4U is fantastic and I love it.
> 
> Playing: MH3U, Pokemon X, GTA5, Pokemon AS, MH4U  
> Listening: Sabaton, Widespread Panic, Ben Folds Five, Gratitude, Slipknot, Titus Andronicus  
> Reading: Tate no Yuusha no Nariagari by Aneko Yusagi, How Edea Got Her Groove Back by TheStockholmEffect  
> Watching: MH4U livestreams


	5. First Foreign Hunt

Sonia yawned drowsily as she pushed the door to her wagon open. The sun had just passed over the horizon, and yet she’d been unceremoniously jolted awake when her wagon had begun moving. Unable to lull herself back to sleep with all the bumping and rocking, Sonia had forced herself out of bed and into her armor. Her dual swords were equipped last, cinched to waist sheathes that were strapped around her stomach; she’d gotten used to drawing the blades from her lower back rather than over her shoulders after spending so long as a sword and shield user. Fully armed and ready, she headed out to greet the day, if not that enthusiastically.

Hers was small wagon, certainly, only seven feet wide by twelve feet long inside. The bed took up the most space, sitting on top of a cluster of shelves and lying just below even more, meaning Sonia would bump her head if she sat up too quickly. Any knickknacks and photos she had couldn’t be hung on the walls or set onto shelves, or they’d clatter around and fall to the floor. She barely had enough room to stuff her clothes in the drawers and hang her armor on a stand, and her item chest had just barely fit through the door. She was glad now that she’d only brought her sword and shield and dual swords with her. Her hunting horn and long sword would have likely been hung onto hooks that were bolted to the outside of the wagon.

But Sonia liked the little wagon, truth be told. It was cozy and private, and though it had a habit of jolting her awake on the days she was supposed to sleep in, it was still a very snug little home away from home. The outside was nicely decorated, painted a lush green with decorative golden trim. The wood paneling had elaborate shapes carved into it, as did most of the wagons, made to entice customers when they were in a village or town. If she did come back to Gahiji after passing the Therian hunter’s exam, she might do as Steward had suggested and get a custom-built wagon of her own… but that was far into the future yet.

In her dreary state, she nearly stepped right off the wagon’s steps after latching her door shut behind her, but quickly caught herself and grabbed a handlebar to keep from dropping off. Steward kept the draft Popos moving at a fairly brisk pace, and jumping off a wagon without caution could end with you getting a mouthful of dirt. She’d made that mistake once before when half-asleep, and had slid down a ditch into a creek bed. She’d learned her lesson after that.

There was a call of greeting, and Sonia turned to find Daguerreo wishing her good morning. His own home and shop wagon was coupled behind her own. The man started to strike up a conversation, but turned his attention back to the interior of his shop at the sound of glass clinking together; Sonia had learned that such sounds meant that his potions and other elixirs weren’t properly fastened down. With a grin, she hopped over to help out, and ten minutes later, all the potions had been secured properly, and there was hardly a clink to be heard. Daguerreo thanked her for her help, and the huntress finally hopped down to the ground, walking alongside her wagon as the caravan made its way through the forest and hills.

They’d been traveling through the countryside for a few days now, heading southeast through the flatlands before entering the thick forests between the desert and the mountains looming far in the east. The landscape was just as rugged as Sonia had been told: once they’d gotten a few miles away from the sandsea, the gentle grasslands vanished as the ground grew jagged, tall upheavals sprouting up and making the earth jolted and uneven. 

Since the sun had risen, the caravan had made its way into a shallow gorge. The sides of the gorge weren’t sloped, but jumped up two to five yards at a time in short ledges. Sonia felt like she was walking between two very large staircases leading up towards the thick forests at the tops of each side, their branches and leaves stretching over the wagons and covering them in shifting shadows. The caravan was rolling through the base of the gorge, inside a defined path a dozen yards wide which left them very little room to maneuver. A small stream trickled on the left side of the wagons at the base of the first incline, flowing back the way they’d come towards the desert. Steward had told them that this very stream passed through their destination, Lintukoto, though further on it was not a small creek but a rushing river.

All three of the hunters had wanted to explore the country a little bit, but Steward seemed intent on making up the lost time the caravan had gathered staying in Val Habar for more than a month, and he kept the wagons moving to get back onto their regular trade route. As such, the hunters were unable to venture very far, keeping themselves close to the caravan as its guards.

That meant, unfortunately, that the hunters hardly got to do what they’d most wanted to do here in Gahiji:  _ hunt _ . They’d seen a few creatures that didn’t exist in Theron, including some hard-shelled Neopterons called Konchu, and a few new raptors called Velociprey. However, the only large monster they’d had a chance to encounter was a Great Jaggi they’d come across before entering the forests, but that was nothing new, and the creature had fallen before them without hassle.

Steward had apologized for the disappointing first few days, but he guaranteed the hunters that things would pick up once they reached their first stop. They planned on staying in Lintukoto Gully for a few days, depending on business, and then continue on their trade route to the next destination. Selene would act as an intermediary between them and the local Guild post, and they’d be able to pick and choose some low-level hunts. Sonia was looking forward to seeing what Gahiji  _ really  _ had to offer.

Sonia began pressing toward the front of the caravan at a brisk jog, passing by the metal smithy wagon and pausing long enough at Burmecia’s diner wagon to get some fruit for breakfast before scurrying on. She spotted Bram ahead, striding next to the aquamarine Guild wagon while chatting with Selene. Smiling slyly to herself, Sonia picked up the pace, slinking quickly towards the archer from behind.

“Morning, string bean! Catch me!” Sonia laughed, leaping up and jumping onto Bram’s back and swinging her arms around his neck. Selene squeaked in surprise at Sonia’s sudden appearance, though Bram reacted quickly enough to catch her legs, hoisting her up and carrying her without even breaking pace. The huntress giggled in amusement as he twisted his head around and raised an eyebrow at her.

“Good morning, Sonia. I thought you were supposed to be sleeping in. It’s my day to wake up early.”

“I was, but the road was just too bumpy,” Sonia replied grumpily. “I need a softer mattress or something.”

“Maybe you do. So, what are you up to?”

“Just going around talking to people,” she replied, wiggling around to get herself into a better position on his back. “I met with Daguerreo and Burmecia. Figured if we were going to spend six months as hunters for this caravan, I might as well get to know the item seller and cook. They’re important people in our line of work! I was gonna talk to Cleyra too, but Logan was chatting her up. I think he made a pass at her too, because she was laughing and saying that she wasn’t a cradle-robber. How old was she supposed to be again?”

“I couldn’t guess. Wyverians are always somewhat challenging for me to determine their age,” Bram admitted. He turned to look at Selene, who was giving the two hunting apprentices a confused look, and her ears had drooped slightly as she stared at them. “I don’t suppose you know, Selene?”

The Guild rep blinked in surprise, before shaking her head. “Oh, um… I fear I could not say. Every time someone questions her about it, she always tells them that ‘it’s impolite to ask a lady her age’, and shoos them away. I imagine she is quite old though. Master Steward told me she has not changed for as long as they’ve known each other, and he’s told stories about them drinking together in his youth. So if she hasn’t changed in that many years…”

“Can’t you guess?” Sonia asked. “You’re Wyverian yourself, after all.” 

“Well, yes,” Selene replied, brushing a hand against one of her ears. “But even among Wyverians, it’s impossible to be certain. Our species may be known for living long lives, but our lifespans can vary dramatically. Some of us may only live as long as humans do, while others can live double or triple that, or even more.” The woman placed a hand against her chest. “As for myself, I will likely live for one hundred thirty years at most. Cleyra likely comes from a more long-living bloodline than me. There are stories of Wyverians out there that can even live for millennia.” 

“I guess I shouldn’t be surprised,” Sonia muttered. “I met that Wyverian that repairs dad’s armor and weapon once, and he was positively  _ ancient _ . But I guess that’s neither here nor there. So, what are you up to, string bean?”

Bram nodded towards Selene. “Same as you, I suppose. If we’re going to be hunters for this caravan, I might as well get acquainted with our Guild rep.”

“Ah, smart.” Sonia glanced up towards Selene. “So what were you talking about?”

“Oh, ah, Bram was just asking me how long I have been a part of Stellazzio,” Selene replied. “I have only been working as the caravan’s official Guild rep for two years, but I’ve actually been a part of Stellazzio for nearly eleven years now.”

“Eleven… wow, really? But you can’t be that much older than us… Or are you, Miss Wyverian? Are you secretly forty years old or something?”

“No! I’m only twenty!” Selene yelped. Her eyes widened in surprise at her own outburst, and she flushed in embarrassment, her face tinting red all the way to the points of her ears. She quickly composed herself, calming down and clearing her throat. 

“I joined when I was nine,” she said when she’d recovered. She paused for a moment, then smiled uncomfortably. “My parents were part of the caravan, and friends with Steward.”

“Oh, okay. What did-”

“You know, you’re getting kind of heavy, Sonia,” Bram commented, shaking her a little on his back. “I think you’ve been enjoying Burmecia’s cooking a little too much…”

“Oh, quit complaining, string bean,” Sonia replied. “Maybe I’ll just stay here for the rest of the day…”

“Um, not to be rude, but is this-” Selene motioned to the two of them, Sonia still being carried on Bram’s back, “-is this common?”

“Common enough I guess,” Bram chuckled lightly. “Maybe it seems a little odd, but I suppose I’m simply used to it. In all seriousness, down with you, Sonia.”

“Aw, pecker,” the huntress grumbled, sliding loose and getting back onto her feet. She quickly straightened her armor, before smiling at Bram and Selene. “So, Miss Guildie, what kind of place is this Lint village? And what can we expect to hunt there?”

“Lintukoto Gully,” Selene corrected her, enunciating the name. “It is a lovely village, in my opinion, built of wood and timber and hidden away… The people there have always been very friendly, and Steward is a close friend of the chief. You should try to refer to it by its proper name, however; the people are a proud sort.”

“Ah… okay, I’ll remember that. Lin-tu-ko-to…”

“As for the monsters, for the most part you will find Seltas, Great Jaggis, and Velocidrome; nothing too terrible. Some less common creatures include Kecha Wacha, Congalalas, and Rathians. There is also a  _ small  _ chance of meeting with a Rathalos, Seltas Queen, or Tigrex… but those are very rare circumstances. You wouldn’t be hunting those at your skill level anyway.”

“Too bad. I’d like a chance to take one of them on,” Sonia replied confidently, but she earned a concerned look from both Bram and Selene. “Or, you know, maybe not right now or anything… One day though.”

“It would be best to start with a Seltas, I think,” Selene replied. “You don’t have those in Theron, correct? Yes, then perhaps those and some Velocidrome. I will try and keep an eye out for Kecha Wacha hunts as well, and reserve one for you three if the chance arises.”

“Great!”

“We’d appreciate that,” Bram agreed with a grin. “You’re remarkably on top of all this…”

“I take my job very seriously,” Selene said. “I would not want you to go out in search of a Seltas and find its Queen instead. That would be a nasty surprise for a pair of apprentices.”

“What’s the difference between a Seltas and a Queen?” Sonia asked. “Is it like the difference between a Rathian and Rathalos? Different paint job?”

Selene pursed her lips for a moment before slowly shaking her head. “Not… exactly. There’s some… sexual dimorphism in the species.”

“Sexual what?”

“I mean that there’s a… notable size and shape difference as well.”

“Oh, like Ludroth. Well, hopefully we’ll get a chance to fight both of them sooner or later.”

“The Queen might be a little beyond your abilities to reach in only six months, I fear. I do not think that unlicensed hunters can even fight them. I doubt Master Steward will be taking Stellazzio towards the areas where they are common, either, since they tend to stay in more treacherous terrain than our caravan can confidently traverse.”

“Aw, pecker… Well, I guess we knew coming here that we wouldn’t be able to fight everything.”

“I’m sure there will be enough to keep you excited,” Selene assured her with a smile.

Sonia nodded enthusiastically before looking towards the front of the wagon train. “Well, I’ll leave you two to it. I’m going to go ask Steward when we’re supposed to reach Lintukoto.”

“It shouldn’t be much later than early evening,” Selene replied.

“Still, I want to know for sure!” Sonia called back, before darting towards the front of the caravan.

There weren’t that many wagons between Selene’s and the head of the train, mostly the more brightly-colored ones that would draw attention since they’d be the first ones seen when they arrived in a settlement. Sonia passed them by, waving to their riders as she made her way to the wagon in the front. Steward was sitting at the driver’s seat of the lead wagon, his eyes carefully scanning a broad map in his lap as he only half paid attention to the Popos pulling the wagon. 

The man turned as she approached, smiling and nodding at the huntress as she walked next to the wagon. “Good morning, young Sonia. Did the rocking of your wagon wake you early?”

“Yeah… how’d you know?”

“That old wagon was built for storage, not comfort. I feared it might be too rickety for someone to sleep in properly… I’ll be sure to ask Cleyra to look at the wagon once we stop in Lintukoto, and see if she can’t make the ride smoother for you. If there’s anything that harms a hunter more than not eating a fine meal before a hunt, it’s not getting enough rest.”

“I appreciate it,” Sonia replied gratefully, then looked down at the map in Steward’s lap. “What are you doing? I thought you’d said there weren’t any other roads between here and Lintukoto?”

“There is not. I am planning our route for the next few months,” Steward replied. “Lintukoto Gully is merely our first stop, and I need to make certain that I know where and when we will be traveling over the next few months, and how long we will need to get there. Our next stop is a mining town further east called Harth, and I will need to speak with Selene about the Guild’s migration reports before long… There are two paths between Lintukoto and Harth, but the northern path, though shorter, becomes essentially inaccessible depending on whether the Kut-Ku breeding season was particularly… ah,  _ prosperous _ .”

“Uh… do I want to know why?”

“Selene can explain it better than I… But on that topic, if we  _ do  _ take the northern path, I would advise you not to eat any pink-colored fruit you find.”

“Okay, I  _ definitely  _ don’t want to know the reason behind that.”

“It is not as bad as you might think. It is actually rather humorous… for anyone that  _ hasn’t  _ eaten the fruit.” Steward looked up from his map with a wistful expression, chuckling in amusement. “I recall the first time we traveled through the area with our former hunter. We’d hardly gotten a mile in when she’d eaten through a dozen of them. By the time we stopped for lunch, she was completely and utterly…”

However, the caravan master paused, an uncertain expression on his face. “Ah, forgive me. Perhaps you don’t wish to hear the story. I suppose it is just second nature for me to speak of her.”

“No, please, go ahead,” Sonia urged him. “Can you tell me about her? She seems like she was a pretty great hunter.”

“Ha! She most certainly was!” Steward laughed. “The tales I could tell about that woman, and the adventures we had together! Or rather, the adventures  _ she  _ had, and then told me about later. She always seemed so serious when she went away to slay the beasts she needed to, with fierce eyes and the most determined expression a woman could muster. But when she returned she was all laughter and fun stories… Please, do remind me to tell you the tale of her battle against two gold-crown-large Congalalas one day. That tale is always good for a laugh… a good  _ many  _ laughs, for that matter. Not that she didn’t have her own tales of great bravery and valor, of course. If but half her tale about an encounter with a Kushala Daora was true, I would still consider her one of the finest hunters in the country!”

“Kushala… isn’t that an elder dragon?” Sonia gasped, and Steward nodded. “Wow… and we would have been hunting with her?”

“Perhaps…” Steward shrugged. “She had her own duties to attend, but it was my hope for her to aid young Logan in training you and your partner Bram while you three were with us. It was actually rather amusing when I first told her you would be coming… She was a fine hunter, but never a teacher. She was so nervous! She had traveled out to hunt down Tigrex with a calmer expression on her face than when I told her she would be keeping an eye on a trio of young Therian hunters.”

Sonia giggled as Steward chuckled at the memory. But as their laughter died, Sonia lowered her eyes for a moment before looking at Steward nervously. “So… what exactly happened to her?”

Steward sighed mournfully. “The same that happens to many hunters in this occupation, I fear: injury beyond recovery. When we stopped in Dundorma two months ago, she was approached by some comrades who wished her to join them on a hunt for some beast that was causing trouble. Stellazzio sent her off without another thought; she’d proven herself countless times before, so why should this hunt be any different? But… it  _ was  _ different. They were overwhelmed, all four of them. One escaped with only minor injuries, but two were forced to end their careers as hunters, and the last… met his end at the talons of the monster.”

“That’s terrible…” Sonia replied, looking down at the ground.

“It was… but I fear therein lies the risk of being a hunter. All of Caravan Stellazzio was shocked at the news, and mourned our friend’s sudden retirement. But she encouraged us to carry on as before. There would be other hunters to join our caravan, she told us, perhaps some greater than her, and we would need to be ready to welcome them. She wished us all well, and returned to her home in Dundorma. It has been… a trying time since then, but things are picking up again. Perhaps traveling around with you three hunters will help cheer this caravan back-”

The man paused mid-sentence, however, his eyes darting upwards intently. Sonia looked up sharply, following his gaze; there was a flicker of motion between the trees above them, a dark green blur that whizzed through the foliage, sending a rain of torn leaves and brittle sticks onto the wagons. A low droning sound echoed through the gorge. There was a flash of motion and a loud clanging as the shape flew from the trees and smashed headlong into the hard metal roof of Cleyra’s smithy wagon, deflecting off the structure and sailing to the side. There was a string of agitated squealing followed by a loud thump and some loud cursing from Cleyra which could be heard across the whole caravan.

Sonia dashed around the wagon in search of the assailant, spotting it in a moment. On the ground near the smithy wagon was a large mantis-like Neopteron. Its shell was forest-green, though the long sickles that stretched out as its front legs were a bright orange. The creature had a wide canopy that arced over its back and head, jutting out to form a trident-like horn. It had wide translucent wings which were slowly folding up and pulling into the creature’s shell. The massive bug’s impact against the smithy wagon had sent the creature dropping into the grass below the first ledge of the gorge, and though the insect was standing upright, it was currently teetering unevenly on its legs, skittering back and forth while its head lulled side to side.

“Oh, wow! What is…?”

“Aha! A Seltas!” Sonia looked up as Steward leaned around the side of the wagon, gazing at the creature with interest. “I was wondering if one of them would show up before we reached Lintukoto. They are rather abundant in this area. A rather small one for its species…”

“Small?” Sonia asked. The creature was at least fifteen feet long from the tip of its abdomen to the point of its horn! Then again, Great Jaggi were usually at least thirty feet long and more experienced hunters hardly considered them worth the effort of fighting…

“Oh, don’t worry,” Steward laughed. “Seltas are hardly a creature to worry over, apprentice Sonia.”

“Ha! I’m not worried, I just… Uh, wait, you need to get moving! It attacked your smithy!”

“Ah, no worries,” Steward replied. “Cleyra’s smithy wagon is made of rather sturdy materials. The Seltas likely got more than it bargained for by choosing that particular wagon to attack first…” 

As he was speaking, however, the Seltas appeared to shake off its stupor, turning back towards the caravan and squealing angrily. The caravaneer leaned down and patted Sonia’s back urgently. “However, I fear that will not be a mistake it makes a second time. Now would be an excellent time to live up to your titles as the Caravan Stellazzio’s guards, temporary though they may be.”

“Right! Okay then, you get going! We’ll take care of this!” Sonia said, before rushing towards the insect. 

The wagons began to pick up the pace to get away as the apprentice moved to intercept the creature; those that had been outside their wagons were quickly rushed into the relative safety of the wooden structures, leaving only the drivers out in the open. Bram appeared from the other side of the Guild wagon, nodding intently to Sonia as the pair of them dashed towards the Seltas. As they approached, however, the Seltas began to skitter across the ground towards the next closest wagon: the food stall, where a collection of melons and other fruits hung from the awning, meant for the caravan members but unfortunately left there when the Seltas had appeared.

However, as the creature got close, there was a rush of aquamarine as Logan leapt from the smithy wagon. The Seltas turned to face the approaching hunter, but when he was within range, Logan unsheathed his great sword and swung it sideways towards the Seltas. Rather than striking with the edge of his blade, however, the hunter caught the insect flatfooted as the side of the great sword smacked into its face, sending it sliding backwards and dazing it a second time. The hunter pointed his weapon toward the Seltas, but when Logan saw the apprentices rush towards it, he quickly stepped back.

“You sure you don’t want a piece of this thing, too?” Sonia asked with a smirk, and Logan laughed.

“Of course I do! But that can wait, hey? This thing on you two’s level, they say; one real hit with my great sword and that thing’s toast. But I get a piece of the next one, hey?”

“Deal!” Sonia shouted before dashing towards the Seltas. 

Behind her, she could hear the Bram’s bowstring stretching as he prepared an arrow, and a moment later one shot past her. The arrow sailed straight and true, before sinking itself solidly into the Seltas’ side just under the wide canopy. The Neopteron squealed in shock, twisting around in surprise just as Sonia rushed into its face, lashing out with her dual blades and cutting shallow lines into the beast’s thick canopy. 

Sonia swung her right sword in a low arc, aiming to thrust it into the Seltas’ face, but the insect raised its sickles defensively, deflecting the sword. As the yellow Ludroth blades clashed off the orange claws, the Seltas pushed them out, striking the huntress in the chest, winding her and forcing her away from it. Before it could do anything else, however, another arrow ricocheted off the beast’s canopy, making it squeal in fright and stagger back even further while raising its sickles defensively. Sonia pulled back a ways until she was closer to Bram, watching the Seltas carefully.

“So, what do you think, string bean?” 

“Its shell seems pretty hard,” Bram replied, studying the creature. The Neopteron was staying still, keeping its sickles raised in fear of attack while occasionally glancing around them at the hunters. “It hit the top of the smithy wagon at a pretty fast speed, but its shell isn’t cracked or broken. My arrows and you sword didn’t seem to do much damage to it either… Its underbelly appears soft, and it seems to use those sickles for defense just as easy and offence. Not sure about the rest of its legs, yet. Its abdomen seems relatively unprotected… that might be the best place to attack.”

“And the ‘abdomen’ is…” 

“The back part.” 

“Right! Shell and sickles too hard, aim for the butt. Got it. Any other weaknesses?” 

“It seems to crawl rather awkwardly, and its turning speed isn’t great from what I’ve seen…”

“I can outpace it by circling, then. Anything else?”

“Not yet. Watch out though; larger insects like this are sure to have a trick or two up their sleeves.”

“Okay. Ready?” 

“As I’ll ever be,” Bram replied calmly, drawing an arrow. By now the Seltas had recovered from the earlier attacks and squealed angrily at the hunters. “Go ahead and take the lead… and be careful.”

“Got it!” Sonia shouted, darting towards the Seltas. The Neopteron jolted slightly at the sight of the rushing huntress, but gathered itself and skittered towards her with its sickles raised defensively.

The Seltas lashed its sickles out at her as soon as she was within range, but Sonia leapt to the left, darting around the side of the Neopteron and trying to rush around the creature. The Seltas spun around and follow her, and Sonia swept her right blade up, aiming for the bug’s face. The insect reacted quickly, raising its sickles and deflecting the Ludroth blade, but the motion made it stand still for a moment, allowing Sonia to finish circling around the Seltas. Looking down, she could see what Bram had been talking about: behind the two shell slats which covered the Seltas’ wings, the creature’s abdomen appeared much softer than its torso. Without hesitation, Sonia swung her blades down and plunged them into the tender flesh of the Seltas’ lower body.

The Seltas squealed in pain, and Sonia grinned eagerly; Bram had been right! She managed to cut into the creature’s a couple more times before the Neopteron retaliated, twisting around and swinging its sickles at the huntress, forcing her to leap backwards. She expected to have given herself at least a couple feet of clearance from the creature’s scythes, but she winced fearfully as the tip of the forelegs missed by only a few inches, nearly hitting her chest. As she landed, she staggered back cautiously; the creature’s blades had nearly hit her! But how-

The Neopteron snapped its sickles before she could think about it, forcing her to dodge to the side, and this time Sonia saw it. The Seltas’ forelegs were segmented, and the segments had slightly protracted when the insect attacked, extending the Seltas’ reach by over a foot. The Neopteron turned to swing at her again, but it jolted in pain as an arrow pierced into its abdomen just below its wings. The creature snapped around, hissing at Bram angrily, but another arrow cracked against its horn just over its face, and the Seltas squealed, ducking its head and raising its sickles to defend itself. 

“Thanks!” Sonia shouted. 

“Did it get you?” Bram called back, keeping another arrow level on the Seltas, but not being able to fire with the creature defending itself.

“I’m fine! Watch out though, its claws can extend!” 

“Understood,” Bram replied, loosing the arrow towards the Seltas’ rear legs. Though the arrows broke shards of shell off the insect’s body, the plating on the appendages seemed thick enough to avoid being punctured. 

The Seltas pushed itself up before the archer could draw another shot, however, lifting its body into the air and stretching its legs. The creature clicked its mandibles irately, then swung its abdomen forward and unleashed a trio of wet green blobs at Bram. The archer cursed and leapt back to avoid the splattering goop, but the Seltas continued to launch the blobs, forcing him to dart back and forth to avoid them. 

Sonia dashed forward to attack while the insect’s back was turned, but the Neopteron spun around and launched another volley of the slime in her direction as well. Sonia yelped in surprise, dodging out of the way as one of the blobs splattered to the ground next to her, splashing slightly and releasing a wispy green haze. Sonia winced, recognizing the fluid and the foul smell it let off; she’d seen Altaroth and Bnahabra spray similar bile. It was probably a mild acid, and if she got hit, it’d eat away her armor and force her to get it repaired. She was sure to have enough Jaggi and Great Jaggi materials to do so, but she didn’t want to if she didn’t have to.

Another arrow pegged the Seltas in the abdomen from behind, and the insect turned on the archer once more, giving Sonia an opportunity to dash towards it. However, the Seltas abruptly ducked its head and flattened out its body parallel with the ground, with its horn pointed straight towards Bram. The slats on the creature’s back split open, and its wide translucent wings unfolded and buzzed into motion. One last arrow clashed against the Seltas’ shell before the Seltas rocketed forward, nearly clipping him as the archer dove out of the way. The insect pulled up after passing him and soared over the hunters’ heads, shooting through the overhanging branches and into the leaves.

“You okay?” Sonia shouted.

“I’m fine!” Bram replied, turning about and scouring the canopy for the Seltas. Flickers of motion shot through the branches for a moment or two, before the Neopteron descended through the leaves, waving its sickles menacingly at the two hunters as it hovered in the air. Bram fired several more arrows, but while the first couple managed to strike the Seltas in soft spots, after that the Neopteron got wise to it and began dodging the projectiles or making them strike harmlessly against its harder canopy. 

Sonia grumbled in frustration; the Seltas was hovering far out of her reach. She didn’t even have any flash bombs to use either. She’d meant to buy some, but they’d been moving around so much in the last couple days that she hadn’t had a chance to. She glanced quickly towards Daguerreo’s wagon; he might have some, but she didn’t really want to leave Bram here fighting the Seltas on his own… She’d just have to hope it would fly low enough, or Bram would drop it out of the sky for her.

Bram drew another arrow, but the Seltas abruptly darted low to the ground and raced towards the archer with its horn pointing forwards like a spear. The hunter cursed and to the side as the Neopteron raced past him, but as he rolled to his feet the insect looped in the air and rushed him again. Bram just barely avoided the second rush from the creature and prepared to dodge again in case of another rush.

As the Seltas looped around again for another run, however, it paused and suddenly looked to the side, focusing on the caravan. With a hiss the creature abruptly dipped in the air and raced towards the food wagon once more. The apprentices’ eyes widened in horror, and with a shout, the pair took off after the creature.

Before it could get too close to the wagons though, there was a flash of aquamarine as Logan appeared in the creature’s path, holding his sword out in front of him defensively. The Seltas squealed and tried to slow itself, but slammed headlong into the Zinogre-material slab. Logan grunted from the force of the impact as the creature’s horn slid over the top of the blade and above his shoulder, but managed to hold his ground. With a roar of effort, Logan twisted the blade around, the hooks along the length of the great sword catching the Neopteron’s canopy and flipping the creature over in the air, slamming it to the ground. 

“Hoy! Keep it from heading towards the caravan!” Logan shouted at the apprentices, stepping back to keep himself between the creature and the wagons. The caravan was still clattering along, but the Popos could only move so quickly, and the Seltas was far faster than they were when flying.

“Sorry!” Sonia shouted back, chasing after the toppled creature. 

Sonia reached it while the Neopter was still lying flat on its back, slicing into its exposed underside a couple times before the Seltas’ abdomen swung forward, spraying green goop up at her and forcing her to leap back. She wasn’t quick enough though, and there was a hiss as some of the gunk splattered across her right forearm. She cursed and scrambled to scrape the stuff off with the reverse side of her sword, but she wasn’t fast enough to prevent damage. She groaned in irritation to see that the bits of the Jaggi hide and scales had been eaten away, and a couple holes had been eaten away. She hadn’t gotten any on her skin, luckily.

The Seltas managed to right itself a moment later, charging angrily towards Sonia. The huntress cursed as the Neopteron began slashing wildly at her, extending its sickles in wide sweeps to keep her from getting close. 

“Sonia, left!” 

The huntress immediately sidestepped to the left at Bram’s shout, and an arrow shot right past where she’d just been and embedded itself into the Seltas’ soft underbelly. The Neopteron squealed, staggering back and waving its forelegs at the shaft in an attempt to dislodge the projectile. Sonia took the chance to dive in for the creature’s exposed center, but the Seltas managed to raise its sickles to block. The pain was making the Neopteron stagger though, and Sonia swung her dual blades against the creature’s forelegs in hopes of creating an opening. 

The Seltas’ wings unfurled before a chance could arise though, and the creature quickly buzzed straight into the air. Sonia rushed under it and swung her dual blades into the Seltas’ lower legs and abdomen, but the creature was already too high to do much serious damage and only pulled itself further higher out of the huntress’ reach.

“Damn it! Get back down here so I can fight you!” Sonia shouted, but the creature clearly wasn’t in the mood for taking such a suggestion. 

Bram fired several more arrows at the Seltas, but the Neopteron was able to dip through the air and dodge them. The archer was quickly getting accustomed to the Seltas’ movements, however, and his shots were only narrowly missing. The insect’s attention kept darting to the caravan though, and the fruits that were hanging from the food wagon. Every time it did so, its focus on the apprentices would waver long enough for Bram to pierce its body with another arrow, forcing it to keep its gaze on them. 

The Seltas suddenly dived low to the ground, its horn pointed towards Sonia as it rushed towards her. The huntress yelped and dove out of the way before the beast could impale her, but rather than using its momentum to loop around for another run, the Seltas instead rolled in the air before launching itself towards the caravan. 

Logan cursed loudly and swung his great sword through the air to strike the insect, but the Neopteron was simply too high for him to reach and sailed over his head. He spun around as the insect landed on the roof of the food wagon with a loud thump, and several cries of shock and fear could be heard from within. The creature’s size made it stretch across nearly the whole width of the wagon, and its bulk made the wagon lean slightly as leaned over the side to claw at the hanging fruits eagerly.

An arrow struck against the creature’s body before it could do so, however, burying itself just under its wings. The Neopteron squealed and staggered back, nearly falling off the roof of the wagon as it twisted its head around to get a look at the shaft now imbedded in its body.

“Nice shot, string bean!” Sonia called, chasing after the creature.

“Thanks…” Bram replied automatically, focusing on his next shot.

Bram kept the Seltas pinned down as Sonia approached the wagon, shooting arrow after arrow in its direction. The Seltas was forced to keep its sickles raised defensively to protect itself, but Bram would wait until the creature lowered its forelegs before firing, forcing it to hide once more. The Seltas was intent on getting at the fruits and refused to fly off the wagon though. Logan had planted himself under the awning and was trying to attack the creature, but wouldn’t have a chance unless it leaned over the side. 

Sonia wasn’t perturbed though, and darted around the side of the wagon before leaping towards a ladder up to the top. She scrambled up as quickly as she could, pulling herself onto the roof and drawing her dual swords. She quickly glanced in Bram’s direction, and the archer nodded at her, holding back with his next shot as she charged. The Seltas didn’t hear her coming until the moment before she swept her blades forward, aiming between its arms where she assumed its heart would be… assuming Seltas’ had hearts. 

The Neopteron was still on edge though, and as soon as her swords came into view it squealed in shock, twisting its sickles around to deflect Sonia’s attack slightly to cut into the Neopteron’s chest, slicing a long gash under the creature’s foreleg. It was enough to scare the Seltas though, and the creature unfurled its wings in a panic and flew backwards, squirting several green blobs out from its abdomen. Sonia cursed as she danced around the gunk, dodging them as they splattered against the roof of the wagon. She winced at the sight of the goop’s acid burning through the paint and digging into the wood a little before washing off the slanted; she’d need to apologize to Burmecia about the mess later… 

The Seltas continued to sail backwards several dozen yards through the air before its panic overwhelmed it and dropped to the ground and flopped onto its back.

“Nice work!” Logan called. “Now go finish it off! And make sure you keep it away from the wagons!”

“Right, right,” Sonia called back. “Keep it pinned, Bram! I’m gonna try to-”

But Sonia realized a problem as looked back towards the archer: the Seltas had been thrown off the wagons, but had landed on the  _ other  _ side of the gorge, leaving the caravan between Bram and any shot he might’ve had. The archer had realized this too, and rushed to get around the wagons while Logan was forced to go around towards the next group of Popos to pass in front of them. Not only that, but she realized that the Seltas had not landed at the base level of the gorge where they’d been fighting it earlier, but  _ two  _ tiers above the path the caravan was following, and each tier was at least three yards tall, nearly twice as tall as Sonia herself… 

For that matter, she still needed to get off the wagon she was on. There was the ladder, sure, but Sonia couldn’t afford to take her time with this, not with the Seltas doing its best to attack Stellazzio’s wagons. She leaned over the awning; it was just over twelve feet, not exactly a small drop… but heathing her blades and bracing herself, Sonia leapt off the roof to the ground below. It was a quick fall, but still she hissed in pain as she hit the ground, crumpling to a crouch and catching herself with one hand. With a grunt, she pushed herself back to her feet and rushed towards the first rocky cliff to scale it. However, finding the handholds and pulling herself up was a slow and arduous task, and though she couldn’t see the insect, Sonia could practically  _ feel  _ the Seltas managing to right itself and continue going after the caravan.

Her gaze immediately went to the Seltas as she hoisted herself over the first ledge, and as she feared, the Neopteron had managed to flip itself back onto its feet. Glancing back, Sonia saw that Bram had managed to climb between two of the connected wagons and had begun climbing the ledge, while Logan had made his way through one of the gaps as well, but remained back to protect the caravan. 

Sonia couldn’t afford to focus on that though, and dashed towards the second ledge. The Seltas was already honing its attention on the food wagon again and skittering across the grass towards the ledge. Sonia leapt onto the wall, trying to pull herself up the next rise as fast as she could, but before she’d gotten halfway up the shadow of the Seltas’ canopy stretched out over her. Sonia froze uncertainly as the creature unfolded its wings in preparation to fly, but it suddenly looked down and caught sight of her. After a moment’s contemplation, the creature retracted its wings and began to crawl down the wall towards her instead.

Sonia nearly panicked, her mind flying for a way to get out of this. She was in no position to try and outmaneuver the Seltas on a vertical incline. Leaping off the wall or just letting go was a poor idea: if she didn’t stick her landing, that would only leave her lying on her back at the mercy of the Seltas, which wasn’t a much better position than the one she was in now. She could try and draw one of her blades, but the weapon would be very unwieldy in this position… As the Seltas leaned down towards her, Sonia did the only other thing she could think of, letting go of the wall with one hand, and reaching down to unsheath her hunting knife. It wouldn’t have nearly the cutting power of her blades, but it was easier to swing and might be enough to delay the Seltas. 

Sonia swung her knife at the Neopteron, and the insect squealed in surprise as the small blade clashed against its sickles, but it wasn’t enough. The Seltas lashed out at the huntress, its forelegs striking her in the shoulders. Though the thick Jaggi hide she wore managed to keep the points of the sickles from puncturing into her, Sonia still cried out in pain as she lost her grip on the wall, falling and landing flat on her back.

The impact winded her, and the Seltas squealed victoriously as she tried to catch her breath, crawling down the wall towards her. An arrow shot directly under it before it could get to her though, burying itself into the rock wall. The Neopteron jolted to a halt, looking up in surprise only to have another arrow glance off its horn. The Seltas squealed in shock, raising its sickles to protect itself and swinging its abdomen forward to spray more green goop. With the creature clinging to the wall, however, the acidic slime had nowhere to go but straight down, and Sonia shrieked before rolling to the side, barely avoiding the slime before it could splash onto her.

“Watch out, Bram!” she shouted.

“Sorry!” the archer replied quickly, firing another arrow which sunk into the Seltas’ abdomen. 

The Neopteron had suffered enough now and quickly raised its wings, buzzing into the air to avoid the barrage of arrows. Bram tried to shoot it out of the sky, but the creature’s aerial maneuverability kept any arrows from hitting, and the Seltas once more shot in the direction of the food wagon.

“Damn it! Logan, it’s coming your way again!” Sonia shouted. However, she was shocked to discover that the great sword user wasn’t there! She’d been expecting him to be standing between the Seltas and the food wagon, but he’d vanished, leaving the Seltas free to settle on the top of the wagon once more. The creature began clawing intently at the hanging foods, but a large shape pulled itself over the lip of the wagon’s roof before it could reach them.

“Hoy, don’t expect that to work again!” Logan roared, rushing the Seltas and swinging his great sword in a sideways sweep. This time the hunter was willing to use the edged side of his blade, but the awkward footing and his effort to keep from damaging the wagon made the attack much less powerful than it should’ve been. The blade cracked against the insect’s canopy and glanced off the hard material. With its precarious footing on the roof of the wagon though, the blow was more than enough to throw it off and send it tumbling to the ground once more.

Sonia rushed forward to attack the toppled creature, but was met once more by a drop as she reached the ledge she’d climbed before. She was quickly getting sick of all this up-and-down; her legs were going to be sore for a couple days after this. She quickly leapt off, however, grunting as she struck the ground and picking herself up to dash towards the Seltas. Several arrows rained down on the insect as Bram reached the edge and began firing at the creature. The Seltas’ soft spots were slowly turning into a pincushion, but they weren’t penetrating deep enough to truly debilitate the creature. 

Logan prepared to leap off the side of the wagon, but paused as he nervously looked over the edge. He was the closest hunter among the three of them, however, and the Seltas had nearly righted itself, so with a look of agitation the great sword user leaped over the side. He hit the ground, cursing and groaning and dropping to a knee as his legs nearly gave out underneath him. Sonia winced; he’d taken the fall worse than she had… but he was wearing full plate armor and had a large great sword slung across his back. Sonia would have ended up flat on her face if she’d jumped from that height while carrying that sort of load. Logan was pushing himself upright now, but the Neopteron was already back on its feet, and he wasn’t fast enough to rush forward and keep the insect from taking to the air yet again.

“Damn this thing is annoying!” the huntress snapped. “We could finish it if it’d stay out of the sky for five seconds or if it didn’t keep going up and down these ledges!”

“Better get used to it,” Logan grumbled. “They say all of Gahiji is like this. If we ain’t used to it quick, this whole trip gonna be rough. But first we gotta get this thing away from the wagons!”

“How do we do that? This thing makes a beeline for the food stall the second it’s off the ground, and Bram’s arrows can’t break through its shell! Can we just toss a couple fruits at it to get it away from the wagons?”

“Can’t. Sets a bad precedent, feeding anything that tried to steal the caravan’s food, hey?” Logan frowned thoughtfully for a moment. “Guess we gotta ruin its appetite, then.”

“How? We don’t-“

“Sonia, Logan!” Bram called from the ledge. “Can we finish this somehow? I’m almost out of arrows!”

“Huh, right,” Logan nodded. “Come on, Sonia. I got something that might work.”

The huntress tagged behind the great sword user as they darted towards the base of the food wagon. Sure enough, the Seltas once more settled down on top of it, eager to devour the food it could smell. Bram’s bow fire cut to a halt, and she turned to spot Bram leaping off the ledge, landing just as roughly as she had. As he picked himself up and darted towards her, he was reaching down to gather any arrows scattered across the ground he could.

“Okay, get ready you two. This gonna be you best chance, hey? Hope the cooking lady don’t get too mad ‘bout this…” Logan muttered, reaching into his pouch and removing a small grey orb. 

Pulling back, the hunter lobbed the orb at the Seltas and struck the creature in the face. The bomb casing burst, and the Seltas was immediately coated with a sticky brown goop. A foul odor caught Sonia’s nose, and she wrinkled her nose in disgust at the smell of it.

“Oh, pecker! What  _ is  _ that?”

“Dung bomb,” Logan grumbled, holding up a glove to block out the smell through his own faceplate. “They… pretty much what they sound like. They smelly, but useful. Oughta make that thing lose its appetite, hey?”

Sure enough, the Seltas was trying to use its long forelegs to wipe its face off and failing miserably. The creature toppled backwards with a squeal, falling off the wagon and onto the ground on the opposite side of the wagon. The hunters followed quickly, hoisting themselves through one of the gaps between wagons, though Logan struggled a bit pulling himself up and over the couplings. As they approached, they found that the Seltas had landed in the small creek trickling along the side of the path and was still trying to wipe away the foulness on his face.

Logan was grinning though, and quickly patted the two apprentices on their shoulders. “Okay! Now is you chance! Finish it off ‘fore it gets flying again!”

Sonia nodded enthusiastically and dashed forward while Bram drew an arrow, both of them eager to end this irritating creature. However, Sonia paused uncertainly as the Seltas’ eyes snapped in her direction as she approached. For a moment, she thought she’d seen the creature’s eyes glowing yellow… It wasn’t like that now, but-

The huntress jumped slightly as the Seltas suddenly screeched in rage. In a flash, the Seltas charged towards her, its sickles protracting to nearly twice their original length and swinging with such speed and fury that the huntress barely had time to dodge before the points came down and punctured the ground where she’d just been standing. As it ripped its sickles from the earth, an arrow shot past her and punched into its thorax, but the insect hardly seemed to notice and slashed at the huntress again, followed swiftly by swinging its abdomen out and lobbing several blobs of goop at her. 

Sonia was left staggering back, trying to avoid getting any of the acidic slime on her. As she looked up, the Neopteron had already lowered its canopy with its wings out and buzzing furiously. She barely had time to dodge before the creature rocketed across the ground. Sonia cried out in pain as the Seltas’ side horn grazed her side, tearing through the Jaggi materials and cutting into her skin as it raced past her and soared into the air. The huntress dropped to a knee, clutching her side in pain, and a moment later, Bram was next to her, helping her to her feet. 

“Are you okay?” he asked worriedly.

“Yeah… I think so,” she replied, moving her hand away gingerly. She could tell with a glance that the wound was superficial, thankfully… but damn it, it still hurt like hell! “Those horns are sharper than they look...”

“Take this,” Bram said quickly, passing her a potion, which she accepted gratefully. The archer winced as the Seltas shot through the air several yards over their heads, hissing angrily. It seemed to be flying all over the place, spiraling above the caravan at breakneck speeds but without rhyme or reason. “What happened to it? What did you put in that dung bomb, Logan?”

“I didn’t make it!” the great sword user snapped back. “I bought it in Val Habar!”

“Did you read the ingredients on the package?” Bram asked.

“It’s a  _ dung bomb _ ! What you really need to know about the ingredients?”

“Well it did  _ something _ to the Seltas!” Sonia exclaimed, as she pulled out a sticky bandage and slapped it over the cut on her side. “It wasn’t acting like this before you hit it with the bomb!”

“We figure that out later!” Logan replied. “First we gotta get rid of this bug! Bram, try to-“

The great sword user’s words sputtered away, however, when the Seltas suddenly snapped to a dead halt in the air. For a moment, it simply flew there, the remaining nastiness from the dung bomb still clinging to its shell. Bram took the opportunity to draw his bow, firing a clean shot which punched into the Neopteron’s flesh just below its canopy, but the Seltas hardly reacted at all to the wound. Bram drew another arrow, but before he could fire, the Seltas’ eyes flashed a bright yellow; this time Sonia was  _ sure  _ she saw it. The Seltas suddenly screeched, dropping in the air and rocketing towards the food wagon.

“Damn, not this again!” Logan snapped, running towards the ladder on the side of the wagon. 

However, rather than settling on top of the wagon, the Seltas snapped its abdomen forward as it flew past, launching a spray of its hissing green goop down onto the roofs of the caravan. Logan cursed as the acidic substance splashed against his greaves as well as the wheels of the wagon. Bram darted over to the nearest of the wagons, climbing up the ladder to the roof as quickly as he could to try and take a shot at the creature as it passed overhead, but the opportunity never came. As the Seltas circled around, all it did was rocket over the tops of the wagons while spraying volleys of goop, coating the wooden roofs in the steaming substance before circling around for another run. Bram raised his bow, but Sonia saw him hesitate. The Seltas was racing around like a rocket, and Bram couldn’t get a solid shot.

“What do we do?” she shouted, nervousness and worry finally starting to get the best of her.

“We gotta stop it!” Logan shouted, but the tone of his voice showed that he had no idea how to accomplish that.        

In its rage though, the Neopteron simply couldn’t be stopped. The Seltas raced around, launching blob after blob of the disgusting green slime down onto the caravan, dissolving the brightly-colored paint off the wagons and eating away at the wood. Bram fired at the Neopteron when he could, but any arrows that hit only glanced off the Seltas’ hard shell. Sonia could do nothing; she simply didn’t have the reach to attack the creature. Logan was the worst off of all; with its speed and aerial mobility, he just couldn’t keep up, and just trying to haul himself over the connectors attaching the wagons to each other was slowing him down terribly.  

As the Seltas prepared for another run, it suddenly paused for a moment, its eyes focusing on one wagon in particular. Sonia realized that the creature’s gaze had landed on one of the wagon drivers, who was trying to urge the Popos to move faster. The man looked up, realizing that the creature’s attention was entirely on him, and his face paled.

“Hoy! Watch out!” Logan bellowed, rushing to get between the Neopteron and the driver, but the man was frozen in fear. The Seltas rubbed its sickles in front of it for a moment, before dipping its head down in preparation to charge. Sonia dashed towards the creature, but there was no way she was going to make it in time.

There was a flash of motion and a strange jingling sound before the creature could snap forward, however. A green blur plummeted down from the canopy above, which Sonia realized was human. In a wide sweep, the person swept a long staff from their back and brought it down onto the Seltas’ shell with a powerful  _ crack _ . There was a screech of pain as the insect plummeted out of the air, smacking against the rocks below and flipping over onto its back. The creature’s assailant, landed next to the creature a moment later. It wasn’t a hard impact, however, and though they jolted to a crouch upon hitting the ground, they were back upright in a second. The Seltas squealed in confusion and pain as it lay on the ground, wiggling its feet wildly and failing miserably to get back up.

The attacker didn’t immediately turn to face the Seltas, however, looking towards Sonia. The dual blade user realized that it was another huntress, but with a dark growl, the huntress hissed venomously. “How  _ dare  _ you make me attack such a fine creature as this.”

Sonia was baffled at the words, but before she could say or ask anything, the Seltas had managed to right itself, turning and waving its sickles angrily. The woman responded immediately, dashing towards the creature and snapping her staff out in a sharp thrust. The Seltas raised its sickles to block, but the bladed tip of the weapon shot straight through the middle of them, piercing the creature’s canopy breaking off a large chunk of its shell. The Seltas squealed in pain, but the huntress swung the bladed end of her staff at the creature in wide, sweeping arcs which tore gashes into the Neopteron’s shell. Sonia could hear a strange jingling sound in the air again, but couldn’t figure out where it was coming from; it seemed to match with the huntress’ movements, so perhaps it was a sound her weapon made?

Eventually the creature managed to get control of itself, and snapped its canopy low to the ground, aiming its pointed horn at the huntress. Rather than dodge to the left or right, however, the huntress planted the butt of her staff into the ground and vaulted herself into the air as the Seltas took off, clearing the creature’s charge. Once airborne, the Seltas spun around in confusion, searching around for the huntress it thought would have been impaled on its horn. The huntress had already landed from her vault and turned to charge the insect, but the Neopteron hissed in agitation, flying higher to escape the huntress’ reach.

The huntress’ arm snapped out as she twirled her staff, and a dark shape shot towards the Seltas. Sonia blinked in surprise when she realized that the shape was a large beetle, zipping through the air. The Seltas swung its claws out at the beetle as it approached, but the smaller bug slipped around the attacks easily. The larger insect tried to follow it, but the beetle was much faster, twirling around and around the Seltas until the larger bug grew dizzy and wobbled closer to the ground. Then the beetle struck, diving in and ramming its horn directly into the Seltas’ face. The Seltas shrieked in pain, reeling back and swinging its forelegs at the beetle, but the smaller bug had already pulled away and was returning to the huntress. The woman held out her arm, allowing the beetle to resettle back onto her wrist, before rushing the Seltas again. 

Something seemed different about her this time, though Sonia couldn’t peg exactly what it was. It came to her a moment later, when she struck out at the insect with a flurry of attacks, much faster and more powerful than she had before. The Seltas squealed under the onslaught, finally managing to pull itself up several more yards into the air to escape the assault. A thin gurgling sound filled the air as it once again prepared to lob green mucus orbs, but once more the huntress surprised it as she took a step forward, swinging the point of her weapon towards the ground. 

The curved edge swung back into standby position before the blade struck the ground, and as the end of the staff planted against the ground, the huntress swung herself upwards to vault into the air. In the same moment, there was a click and a sharp whooshing sound, and a burst of pinkish-white powdery haze burst from the tip of the staff with such force that it accelerated the huntress’ momentum. With the huntress’ leap and the added burst from the staff, the woman was vaulted nearly five yards into the air, matching the Seltas’ height. The Neopteron barely had time to register what had happened before the woman’s staff cracked against the creature’s horn and sent it plummeting to the ground.

The Seltas hit the dirt with a crunch, bouncing off the stones and rolling onto its back. The huntress landed right next to it, turning sharply and cracking the shaft of her weapon across the creature’s abdomen. The Seltas squealed painfully as it writhed about and tried to push itself upright. However, even though the creature was open for attack, the huntress took several steps back away from the Seltas. A few moments later the insect flipped back onto its legs, its eyes darting fearfully towards the huntress before it limped fearfully in the opposite direction. The huntress didn’t give chase either, simply watching the bug flee. Once it believed itself a safe distance away, the Seltas stretched out its wings and launched itself into the air, rocketing through the trees to make its escape.

Sonia stared in stunned silence at the huntress as she sheathed her weapon, twirling it around and sliding it onto her back. She didn’t understand why the woman had simply let the Seltas escape rather than finishing it off, but before she could think too hard about it, the huntress turned sharply and stalking towards her.

The woman had been a veritable blur of motion during her battle with the Seltas, but now as she approached, Sonia finally got a good look at her. She was wearing an armor set made from Rathian materials, that much was clear. It seemed to be closer to the gunner’s armor, however, trading away the dresslike faulds, heavy pauldrons, and helm for a more mobility-oriented design, relying more on the scales and webbing of the monster than its heavy plates. Her face was mostly covered by her cap and the the webbing hanging down from the cap’s brim.

Her weapon was something Sonia had never seen before: a long, orange-tinted staff with a thick metal blade folded into the shaft near the top. Most of the weapon seemed to be a mix of sturdy metal and solid monster bones, but the opposite end of the weapon from the blade had a green orb implanted into the base, glowing gently and pulsing with every step the huntress took. Then there was the massive beetle which clung to the huntress’ right arm. Sonia shivered at bit at the sight; the creature seemed to be latched to a special bracer on the woman’s arm, its mandibles clicking quietly as it nibbled on some… attached mouthpiece or something.

Sonia also realized that the huntress was very… short. Sonia had never considered herself tall, but even she felt big as this woman approached. She hadn’t been able to tell earlier, but the woman had to be at least six inches shorter than Sonia. Her long staff reached a good two feet taller than her by itself, and both Bram and Logan practically towered over her in comparison. She was slim as well, with a very petite frame showing under the green armor. She had darker, honey-colored skin, and a long wave of silvery-blonde hair that stretched out from under her cap and reached down her back, tied into an elaborate braid. Sonia realized that the jingling sound she’d heard earlier had indeed come from the huntress; tied into her hair was at least a dozen small silver bells, clinking quietly as she walked. As the woman stopped in front of her, looking up at Sonia and allowing her to see under the wide-brimmed hat, Sonia saw that the huntress had a small oval-shaped face, with soft features and clear, crystal-blue eyes.

However, any softness that may have been found in the huntress’ features was harshly offset by the dark scowl that covered her face. The huntress was silent for a moment as the sound of grunting caught Sonia’s ears, and the dual blade wielder saw Bram and Logan pulling themselves up over the ledge that Sonia was standing on. The unknown huntress’ eyes narrowed on the two men as they approached, and her eyes darted between the Therian hunters critically before stopping on Logan. The great sword user must have missed the huntress’ dark expression, because he grinned slightly as he approached, trying to be friendly.

“Hoy there, thanks for the help there, missy. You really-“

“Show me your Guild card,” the huntress ordered sharply, and Logan blinked in surprise.

“Why you need to-”

“Just do it,” she snapped, making Logan flinch back. He frowned uncertainly before reaching into his pouch. There was an awkward silence as he dug around, until finally he pulled out a small card and passed it to the huntress.

“Here. Now why you trying to-”

“This is a Therian Guild card,” the huntress interrupted. She’d hardly had it in her hand for a second.

“Ja, so?”

“ _ So _ ?” the huntress growled venomously. “That means that your attempt to hunt that Seltas was illegal!”

Logan’s eyes snapped open in shock, and he shook his head. “Wait, what you mean,  _ ‘illegal’ _ ?”

“I mean you cannot legally hunt here!”

“I know what the word  _ means _ ! But what you talking about? I is a high-ranked hunter!”

“In Theron, perhaps, but your Guild card amounts to nothing within Gahiji!”

“ _ What _ ?”

“But we got permission in Val Habar!” Sonia cut in, flinching as the huntress shot a glare in her direction. “I mean… the… the Guild Master, Treno, he said we were able to hunt in Gahiji!”

“Excuse me?” the huntress cut in. “That’s impossible.”

“Well, he did!”

The huntress scowled venomously at Sonia, making the dual blade wielder flinch back nervously. “I did not mean that it is something he wouldn’t do. Maybe he would… had he the power. But not even a Guild Master has the authority to offer a foreigner the right to hunt within Gahiji without passing the Gahin hunter’s exam. It is Guild  _ law _ . So no, you do  _ not  _ have the right to hunt in Gahiji, no matter what you think!”

“What?” Logan muttered, his eyes wide with disbelief. “But that’s… I don’t-”

Logan paused at the sound of approaching footsteps, however. From behind them, Steward was hurrying towards them, having just hauled himself up the ledge that the hunters were standing on. The caravan had ground to a halt at the realization that the Seltas had been chased off, and several of the members had left the safety of their wagons to inspect the damage they’d incurred. The huntress looked over at him, recognition on her face, before returning her glare to Logan. Upon reaching them, Steward took a moment to pause and catch his breath before nodding politely to the huntress.

“Greetings, young huntress. I appreciate your aid in assisting our caravan in…” The man petered to a halt as the huntress looked up at him, letting him see her face under the wide-brimmed hat. “Ah… you are… Tapio’s daughter, are you not?”

“I am indeed. My name is Tuulikki tar’Mielikki, the daughter of Tapio ka’Ukko,” she replied, but she motioned sharply to the Therian hunters. “What is the meaning of this, Master Steward? Why are these people here? Where is your normal huntress?”

Steward shook his head solemnly. “She is… not with Stellazzio any longer. She was wounded during a hunt and has since retired.”

The huntress, Tuulikki, balked in surprise, before lowering her gaze. “I see… I’m sorry to hear that. She was a fine huntress… But nonetheless, who are these people? These…  _ Therians _ ? Don’t you have any  _ real _ hunters guarding your caravan? One with the legal ability to hunt within our borders?”

Sonia frowned at the question. The huntress had called them ‘Therians’ as though it was an insult. Next to her, Logan growled viciously, earning only a disdainful glance from the huntress.

“Hoy! What you mean, ‘real hunters’, girlie? If you implying I ain’t a real hunter, you-” The great sword user paused, however, as Steward quickly stepped in front of him and gave him a cautionary look.

“Please, my friend, allow me to speak with her,” the caravan master said. Though Logan continued to bare his teeth furiously, he took a step back and crossed his arms, glaring at the Rathian-armored huntress. Turning back to Tuulikki, Steward gave her a calm, polite smile. “You see, honorable Tuulikki, the young hunter Logan, who is wearing the Zinogre armor, is a friend of mine who saved Caravan Stellazzio some time ago. By way of thanks, I accepted his request to spend time with his apprentices among my caravan, to traverse our country as hunters. Upon the untimely loss of our caravan’s former hunter, we were… lacking in guards who could defend us. However, Logan is a high-ranked hunter within Theron, and I planned for him to defend Caravan Stellazzio from monsters which may threaten us during his time within our borders… though for his apprentices’ sake, I plan to spend the next several months traversing less threatening locales. Surely there is no harm in this sentiment.”

Tuulikki had listened patiently as Steward spoke, but as the caravan master finished, she quickly shook her head. “There is no harm in the sentiment, but what you have done is illegal.” She shot another look at Logan. “‘High-ranked’ though this hunter may be in Theron, he holds no rank in Gahiji, not without passing the hunter’s exam.”

“I fear I don’t understand,” Steward muttered. “I spoke to Guild Master Treno in Val Habar-”

“As I told these three, a Guild Master does not have the authority to allow foreign hunters to hunt freely in Gahiji. They can only hunt once they have passed the Gahin hunters exam, and no earlier.”

“I… I see… And yet, huntress Tuulikki, I have known other hunters,  _ Gahin  _ hunters, who took occasional journeys into Theron, and none have mentioned a need to take the Therian hunter’s exam to participate in hunts…”

“The Therian Guild allows Gahin hunters to take part in hunts, yes,” the huntress nodded, “provided they have a Gahin Guild card. However, the Gahin Guild holds itself to  _ higher  _ standards. If Therian hunters wish to hunt within Gahiji, they  _ must  _ pass the Gahin Guild’s hunter’s exam, a task not one of them have accomplished.”

“What?!” Logan gasped. “That’s… how’s that fair? You can hunt in Theron, but we can’t hunt here?”

“I don’t care if it’s fair or not,” the huntress snapped. “It’s obviously necessary. Your Guild has seen fit to make you a high-rank hunter, yet you cannot fell a simple Seltas? Fine creatures though they are, the Guild considers them little more than pests, no more challenging than a Great Jaggi. And yet you could not challenge it!”

“Hoy, I-”

“I saw your display of so-called hunting,” the huntress scoffed, waving her hand. “The Seltas made fools of you. Or perhaps Gahiji  _ itself  _ made fools of you. You crawled across this terrain with the dexterity of a blind Slagtoth! Your mobility is abysmal, yours worst of all,  _ high-rank hunter _ . This gorge is hardly the most challenging terrain Gahiji has to offer, and you are fools if you think you would be able to defend this caravan at your skill level, or even  _ survive _ .”

“Now you listen, you little-”

“My friends! Please, calm yourselves!” Logan and Tuulikki both paused, turning their attention toward Steward, who had a stern look on his face. “I think… that this is not the place to discuss such things. Clearly something has gone wrong, but shouting about it out in the wilds will do us no good. Bickering and the slinging of insults will get us nowhere. Let us continue on to Lintukoto, and we will discuss this matter  _ civilly  _ once we arrive. We can speak with the local Guild authority in Lintukoto and sort this out properly.”

Logan grumbled to himself sourly, but Tuulikki lowered her head and pulled down the brim of her cap to hide her face. After a moment, she nodded. “Very well. We will continue this discussion in Lintukoto and discuss this with my father; he maintains his role as Guild advisor for this area, and will know what best to do in this situation. There are no better individuals to seek answers on Guild law from between Lintukoto and Val Habar. Have you any complaints?”

“I do not,” Steward replied. “Tapio is a wise man. Let us continue on.”

“And I will be accompanying the caravan, of course,” the huntress added. “You must have a  _ licensed  _ hunter guarding your wagons, after all.”

Logan glared at the huntress as she spoke, and Steward hesitated for a moment before replying. “Yes… very well. I am thankful for your assistance.”

Tuulikki nodded, before turning and striding towards the front of the caravan. There were a few shouts along the wagon train, and the Popos began moving again, pulling the wagons back into motion as the caravan began moving once more. The hunters began to follow slowly and uncertainly, and Steward quickly met up with them, a despondent look on his face.

“I must… I must apologize, my friends,” Steward moaned despairingly. “I promised I would do what I could to let you hunt here in Gahiji, and yet… it seems that I…”

“Hoy, save you apologies,” Logan said quickly, patting Steward’s shoulder. “We sort this out, hey? We just gotta talk with you friend Tapio? He gonna help us?”

Steward frowned uncertainly. “I… cannot be certain, I fear. Tuulikki’s words were true: he is the Guild advisor for the villages in this area, and will know best how to resolve this situation. Tapio is a wise man and an old friend, yet he was also a great and well-respected hunter before Lintukoto made him chief. I recall him in his younger years, and he was… a very proud man. Proud of his skill as a Gahin hunter. If he takes to this situation with the same views as his daughter, who accompanies us…”

Sonia glanced nervously at the huntress striding at the head of the caravan. Despite her short stature, Tuulikki seemed positively menacing, and every now and then, she would spare a glance back at the Therian hunters and give them a condescending scowl before returning her gaze to the path in front of them.

Logan grumbled nervously. “Eh… I is not liking this. We work this out somehow, though.”

“Yes… I am sure there’s something we can do,” Steward replied.

Sonia looked nervously at Bram though, and the archer returned her gaze with a worried look of his own. The two older men were trying to sound confident, but Sonia could hear the uncertainty in their tones. Sonia couldn’t help but fear what would happen to the three of them.

“What do we do now, Bram?” she whispered.

“I’m not sure if there’s anything we  _ can  _ do…” Bram replied, shaking his head. “We’ll just have to see what happens. It’s… out of our hands.”

Sonia frowned; she hated feeling powerless, but there was little she could do to help it in this situation. In nervous silence, the caravan pressed on, continuing its drive towards Lintukoto Gully.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AN: Thanks for reading this chapter about bureaucratic mistakes!
> 
> So, yeah, looks like something went wrong. Wonder how that happened? 
> 
> I always like looking at monster sizes and finding out how big they really are, or at least converting them to sizes I can understand. A gold-crown small Seltas is 554 cm, and though that doesn’t sound like much to an American, converted to imperial, that’s over 18 feet! The game really doesn’t make them feel quite so imposing, does it? Interesting side fact, for those of you that play Pokemon, and gave ORAS a go, check out Groudon’s size in the Pokedex. He’s only 11 feet tall and 16 feet long. Seltas is bigger than Pokemon’s land god! Remember that the next time you’re going toe-to-toe with one of these bugs: they’re roughly the same size as Groudon.
> 
> Also, something I’ve recently learned is that in the MH verse, part of the lore is that hunters as they are, are descended from some sort of super-soldiers that took part in a war many centuries ago. That explains why they’re so powerful, and able to take hits from creatures that would otherwise break them to pieces. A rather interesting tidbit. I’ll need to scour my MH Illustrations books again and make more notes…


End file.
